October 16, 2024

Kalra Battles Through Illness to Win at First Singles As PDS Girls’ Tennis Makes Non-Public South Final

NO BACKING DOWN: Princeton Day School girls’ tennis player Arya Kalra smacks a backhand in recent action. Last Thursday, senior Kalra battled through illness to post a 6-0, 6-1 win at first singles to help second-seeded PDS defeat third-seeded Donavan Catholic 5-0 in the semifinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public South sectional. The Panthers, who improved to 8-4 with the win, were slated to host 16th-seeded Rutgers Prep in the final on October 15 with the victor advancing to the Non-Public state final on October 17 at Mercer County Park. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Earlier this month, Arya Kalra wasn’t sure if she would be well enough to compete for the Princeton Day School girls’ tennis team in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public South state tournament.

“This past week, I got really, really sick; I was out that whole last week,” said senior Kalra. “When we started states, I wasn’t playing a lot. I still wanted to play in their state tournament.” more

October 9, 2024

Firehouse Fun

The annual Princeton Fire Department Open House on Sunday afternoon featured demonstrations, fire truck tours, tips about fire safety, a bounce house, snacks, and more. Attendees share what they liked best about the event in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

PU’s John Hopfield Wins Nobel in Physics

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

Ruha Benjamin Wins  “Genius” Award Amidst Gaza War Controversy

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

Supreme Court Ethics Reform Rally Will Urge Attendees to Take Action

By Anne Levin

Speakers at the “Supreme Injustice” rally set for Sunday, October 20 on Hinds Plaza plan to encourage those in attendance to actively oppose recent decisions issued by the U.S. Supreme Court in the areas of health care, environmental protections, and gun safety laws.

New Jersey State Sen. Andrew Zwicker, the Rev. Robert Moore of the Coalition for Peace Action and Ceasefire New Jersey, and representatives of Empower NJ, Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey, and the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice are among those who will speak at the 2 p.m. gathering “to oppose far right extremist and corrupt decisions issued by the U.S. Supreme Court,” reads a release about the event. more

Nassau Inn One of More Than 300 Hotels Inducted Into Historic Hotels of America

WHO KNEW?: A pool behind the Nassau Inn? This photo, which provides proof, is part of the hotel’s collection of memorabilia that helped qualify it as a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Historic Hotels of America program.

By Anne Levin

The Nassau Inn has become part of Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that recognizes hotels “that have faithfully maintained their historic integrity, architecture, and ambiance,” according to the National Trust.

With the designation, the Nassau Inn joins such establishments as the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan, the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, and the Hotel Du Pont in Wilmington, Del. more

Grammy-Winning Conductor Returns to Lead Two Westminster Choirs

BACK AT WESTMINSTER: Choral conductor Donald Nally, who has a long history with Westminster Choir College, has been hired as a full-time visiting professor to lead the Westminster Choir and Westminster Symphonic Choir, based at Rider University.

By Anne Levin

When the Westminster Choir performs at Trinity Episcopal Church in Trenton this Saturday evening, and the Westminster Symphonic Choir appears with the Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey at the city’s War Memorial a week later, the two famed choral ensembles will have been prepared by a renowned conductor with close ties to their home base.

Donald Nally earned a Master of Music degree at Westminster Choir College in 1987 (before it became Westminster Choir College of Rider University), and served as an artist-in-residence there for the past two years. He has recently joined the faculty as a full-time visiting professor, working with the two choirs as well as students in the choral conducting program.

“Dr. Nally is one of the nation’s leaders in the field of conducting,” said Jason Vodicka, associate dean of Rider’s College of Arts and Sciences and associate professor of music education at Westminster Choir College. “Having him here full time to lead our choirs and conducting program is a testament to his belief in the mission of Westminster Choir College. Our students are incredibly fortunate to learn from him.”

 more

Institute for Advanced Study Welcomes New Scholars and Initiatives for 2024-25

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

Of Songs and Singers, Boxers and Debaters, On John Lennon’s Birthday

By Stuart Mitchner

Never lead against a hitter unless you can outhit him. Crowd a boxer, and take everything he has, to get inside. Duck a swing. Block a hook. And counter a jab with everything you own.

—Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

The winner got to wear a three-ply rope fashioned after the style of Hemingway…

—John Lennon (1940-1980)

John Lennon’s reference to Hemingway’s style is from his posthumous collection, Skywriting By Word of Mouth (1986). Today would have been his 84th birthday.

Ernest Hemingway’s tips on boxing come from a May 6, 1950 New Yorker profile by Lillian Ross (“How Do You Like It Now, Gentlemen?”). Hemingway and his wife Mary had just checked into Manhattan’s Sherry-Netherland Hotel, where he was drinking champagne and playfully riffing about boxing and writing: “I started out very quiet and I beat Mr. Turgenev. Then I trained hard and I beat Mr. de Maupassant. I’ve fought two draws with Mr. Stendhal, and I think I had an edge in the last one. But nobody’s going to get me in any ring with Mr. Tolstoy unless I’m crazy or I keep getting better.” more

Princeton University Orchestra Opens New Season with Peter Westergaard Tribute Concerts

By Nancy Plum

The Princeton University Orchestra launched its 2024-25 season this past weekend with a unique combination of works from Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia, demonstrating that music knows no political boundaries. Led by conductor Michael Pratt, the more than 100-member Orchestra showed in the annual concerts honoring former faculty member Peter Westergaard what could be accomplished in the few short weeks since the University semester started.

Sunday afternoon’s performance in Richardson Auditorium (the concert was also presented Saturday night) began with the American premiere of a piece with a University connection. Princeton graduate Hobart Earle has achieved great success conducting Ukraine’s Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra, leading the ensemble through the sounds of artillery in the background and against incredible odds. In 2023, Earle and the Philharmonic commissioned noted Ukrainian composer Evgeni Orkin, and the resulting Elegy in the Memory of the Victims in Odessa captures the horrors of war both in mournful darkness and hopeful light.  more

Celebrating a Residency

Members of the Thalea String Quartet, who are taking part in a three-day residency program at The Pennington School will perform a free concert on Friday, October 18 at 7 p.m. in the school’s Meckler Library. The school is at 112 West Delaware Avenue in Pennington. Visit pennington.org.

Small-Town Louisiana Is Setting for “Steel Magnolias”

SHAMPOO AND SASS: “Steel Magnolias” is on stage at Mercer County Community College’s Kelsey Theatre through October 13.

The play Steel Magnolias explores the relationships between a tight-knit group of Louisiana southern ladies who gather in Truvy’s small-town beauty parlor, celebrating the milestones in each other’s lives. A production of the play is currently at Kelsey Theatre at Mercer County Community College through October 13.

Truvy’s is where all the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done, including the town’s rich curmudgeon, an eccentric millionaire, and the local social leader. The play is filled with acerbic but humorous verbal collisions, exploring the unconditional strengths of sisterhood, resilience, and love. more

ActorsNET Opens 28th Season With Ira Levin’s “Deathtrap”

ActorsNET kicks off its 28th season with a production of Ira Levin’s classic Broadway hit Deathtrap, running from October 11 through 27 at the Heritage Center Theatre, 635 North Delmorr Avenue in Morrisville, Pa.

One of the longest-running plays in Broadway history, Deathtrap follows a once-successful playwright now grappling with a creative dry spell. When a former student sends him a promising new script, the struggling writer hatches a plan to collaborate with the young playwright — or perhaps something more sinister? What unfolds is a suspenseful and comic exploration of ambition, greed, and deception.

Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. There will be a special Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. on October 19 in addition to the regularly scheduled evening performance. Visit actorsnetbucks.org for more information.

Classical Season Celebration At State Theatre New Jersey

Enriqueta Somarriba

State Theatre New Jersey (STNJ) celebrates the power of classical performance with the annual Classical Season Celebration on Thursday, October 17, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. This year’s event will take place in STNJ’s intimate Studio space and, as a first for State Theatre, will be a performance entirely by candlelight. Pianist Enriqueta Somarriba will perform a 45-minute program of classical favorites woven together with pieces by Spanish composers.

“We are very happy to present this important annual event in a new and exciting way this year,” said Sarah Chaplin, STNJ president and CEO. “This fundraiser is essential to us as a nonprofit presenting theater, as it helps us receive vital support from our community to sustain our classical performances and arts education initiatives throughout the year.”

The event opens with a cocktail reception. The fundraiser supports the continued success of the year-round classical and educational programming — including STNJ’s Symphony Scholars program with the New Brunswick Public School District, Edison High School, and SpeakMusic Conservatory. more

Arts Council Dance Party For Hispanic Heritage Month

JOIN THE PARTY: Más Flow, Princeton University’s Latin dance company, will be on hand for the Arts Council of Princeton’s (ACP) all-ages Dance Party, held outdoors in the ACP parking lot on Friday, October 11 in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) will host an all-ages Outdoor Hispanic Heritage Month Dance Party on Friday, October 11 from 7-9 p.m. The ACP is at 102 Witherspoon Street.

Attendees are invited to show off their moves and learn a few new ones as volunteer dance instructors from Más Flow, Princeton University’s Latin dance company, lead tutorials in favorites like salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, and more.  more

Music for Oboe and Piano By Conservatory Faculty

On Thursday, October 17 at 12:15 p.m., the 23rd season of Westminster Conservatory at Nassau will continue with a recital of music for oboe and piano in Niles Chapel at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street.

The performers, oboist Melissa Bohl and pianist Phyllis Alpert Lehrer, are members of the teaching faculty of Westminster Conservatory. The recital is open to the public free of charge.

The program will include Seven Bagatelles for Solo Oboe by Gordon Jacob, Fantasy in F minor, op. 49 by Frederic Chopin for solo piano, and the Sonatina for oboe and piano by Franz Reizenstein.
Bohl is the principal oboist of the Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey, the Orchestra of St. Peter-by-the-Sea, the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra and the American Repertory Ballet Orchestra. She plays oboe and English horn with the Plainfield Symphony and performs regularly with many other area musical organizations, including the Garden State Symphonic Band and the Somerset Symphony Orchestra. At Westminster Conservatory, she teaches oboe and is head of the woodwind, brass, and percussion department.  more

Christopher Reeve Documentary Comes to Garden Theatre

The Princeton Garden Theatre will present the documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story starting Friday, October 11. Tickets are now available for the run.

Reeve was a 1970 graduate of Princeton Day School (PDS). The film tells the story of his journey as a classically trained actor who, following a horseback riding accident, became a powerful advocate for disability rights. After becoming internationally recognizable, he felt more comfortable in his hometown.

“I can fool a lot of people,” he said when receiving a PDS Alumni Achievement Award in 1990, “but it’s so great to come back to a place and just be me again.”

The Princeton Garden Theatre is at 160 Nassau Street.

Mill Ballet School Honors Mark Roxey

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Mill Ballet School in Lambertville honors the legacy of its founder, Mark Roxey, whose Latino heritage has shaped his artistry and passion for dance, fostering an inclusive environment for students and audiences alike.

Roxey began his formal training at The Joffrey Ballet in New York City and has performed and choreographed internationally. His creative vision has touched countless lives through Roxey Ballet and Mill Ballet School.

To celebrate Roxey’s contributions and Hispanic culture, Mill Ballet School has launched Latin Ballroom classes for students of all ages and experience levels.  more

“Available Light” Exhibition Now at David Scott Gallery

“GREEN FIRE ESCAPE”: This watercolor on paper work by Mark Oliver is featured in “Available Light,” on view at the David Scott Gallery in the offices of Berkshire Hathaway, 253 Nassau Street, through December 31. An artist reception is on Saturday, October 19 from 2 to 5 p.m.

David Scott Gallery, 253 Nassau Street, now presents its latest exhibition, “Available Light,” a collection of paintings by New York architect and artist Mark Oliver. Recently named one of the top 100 watercolor artists in the U.S., Oliver’s paintings have appeared in TV shows such as Billions, Ray Donovan, and Gossip Girls. The exhibition runs through the end of the year. An artist reception is on Saturday, October 19 from 2 to 5 p.m.

As a student of architecture at Westminster University, London, Oliver learned something that would become an integral part of his design aesthetic. “We were taught that natural light is the most important element of architecture,” he said. “We had to use it to shape and define, to blur and shade.”  more

“Art at Kings Oaks”

An artist-led group exhibition is at historic Kings Oaks farm, 756 Worthington Mill Road, Newtown, Pa., through October 20. The exhibition features work by 27 artists from across the U.S., Argentina, Australia, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Russia, Scotland, Thailand, and Ukraine. Paintings, drawings, prints, collages, ceramics, sculptures, textiles, and installation art are on display in two historic farm buildings. Gallery hours are 11 a.m.to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and by appointment. For more information, visit kingsoaksart.com or call (215) 603-6573.

“Robert Duran” Exhibition at New Jersey State Museum

“ROBERT DURAN”: A new exhibition on view October 19 through March 16 at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton offers visitors the opportunity to trace the arc of artist Robert Duran’s evolutions and experiments in painting, drawing, and watercolor from about 1967 to the late 1990s.

The New Jersey State Museum will present a new exhibition and accompanying publication featuring the work of an artist who spent the latter part of his life working in New Jersey. “Robert Duran,” opening October 19, offers visitors the opportunity to trace the arc of Duran’s evolutions and experiments in painting, drawing, and watercolor from roughly 1967 to the late 1990s. The exhibition will be on view in the first floor gallery through March 16, 2025. Major support for this exhibition and the accompanying publication has been provided by Karma Gallery. Additional support has been provided by the New Jersey State Museum Foundation through the Lucille M. Paris Fund and the Martha Vaughn Fund. more

“Not to Be Forgotten” Dual Exhibition at Artists’ Gallery

“DUSK”: This oil on canvas work by Alla Podolsky is part of “Not to Be Forgotten,” her joint exhibition with Laura Rutherford Renner, on view October 10 through November 3 at Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville. An opening reception is on October 13 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville will present “Not to Be Forgotten,” a new exhibit of paintings by Laura Rutherford Renner and Alla Podolsky, October 10 through November 3. An opening reception is on Sunday, October 13 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Rutherford Renner, from Collingswood, enjoys painting figures engaged in the experience of their environments. She said, “Capturing contemporary life snapshots in two dimensions is an exercise in problem solving and creativity. I enjoy mixing pure colors, keeping my palette simple to create authentic observation. The quiet engagement of brush to palette and brush to board provides daily calm and purpose.” more

Alia Bensliman Showcases Work At Pennington’s Silva Gallery

“SPROUTING MIND”: This mixed media work by Alia Bensliman is featured in “From North Africa to North America,” on view October 11 through December 13 at the Silva Gallery of Art at the Pennington School. A reception is on Thursday, October 17 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The Silva Gallery of Art at the Pennington School will host “From North Africa to North America,” an exhibition of work by Alia Bensliman, from October 11 through December 13.

A reception, open to the public, will be held on Thursday, October 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with remarks at 7 p.m. more

Simply Sustainable Company in Lambertville Offers Wide Range of Earth-Friendly Products

SUSTAINABLE SPOTLIGHT: “Simply Sustainable offers a carefully-curated selection of environmentally friendly and healthy interior finish and construction products to suit all building styles and budgets.” Co-owners and mother and daughter team Mary Jane Augustine LEED AP, WELL AP (left) and Lia Nielsen LEED GA, WELL AP are shown with 11-month-old Sage (Lia’s son) in the Simply Sustainable showroom.

By Jean Stratton

Earth-friendly concerns are becoming more and more important to people as they contemplate not only the universal environment we all share, but their own individual habitat. What does this mean in terms of product choices — household or construction, indoor, outdoor — also budget, location, carbon footprint, etc.?

Increasing numbers of options are available, all leading both to opportunities and challenges. How best to determine one’s own obligation to the stewardship of the Earth and the most effective ways to implement it? more

Having Emerged as a Force for PU Women’s Volleyball, Sophomore Star Chaney Developing into a Leader for Tigers

POWER HITTER: Princeton University women’s volleyball player Kamryn Chaney displays her hitting form. Sophomore star Chaney leads Princeton and the Ivy League in kills this season with 211. The Tigers, now 4-9 overall and 2-2 Ivy, host Harvard on October 11 and Dartmouth on October 12. (Photo by Greg Carroccio/Sideline Photography, provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)

By Justin Feil

Kamryn Chaney can fill a stat sheet, but she wants to do even more.

The Princeton University women’s volleyball sophomore star recorded 34 kills in a 3-2 loss to High Point on September 21, a total not seen in more than a decade from an Ivy League player.

“It felt great,” said Chaney, a 6’1 Chicago resident. “I was exhausted after that game, but in the moment the adrenaline was up. We were connecting so well as a team and I was just kind of on. It was like a switch that turned on for me. And I was just kind of hitting wherever and scoring points all over the place. It was a great start for this season.” more