Names in the News: Cruz ’92 Announces Presidential Run, Author Lee Discusses His Work, and More

Shortly after midnight on Monday, Texas senator TED CRUZ ’92 announced on Twitter that he is running for president in 2016. He delivered a formal speech at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. on Monday and is the first candidate to officially enter the race. In an op-ed for CNN, professor of history and public affairs JULIAN ZELIZER analyzed Cruz’s chances by comparing his campaign to that of Barry Goldwater, the Republican senator from Arizona who ran against Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Johnson became president after defeating Goldwater, whose extremism “scared off” voters in solidly Republican states and helped Johnson win a landslide victory. MARC FISHER ’80 of The Washington Postalso wrote about Cruz in a feature story that includes a look at the candidate’s Princeton years.

Creative writing professor CHANG-RAE LEE spoke at the annual Bookworm Literary Festival in Beijing, where he discussed his latest novel, On Such a Full Sea, with Edward Wong of the New York Times’ Sinosphere Blog. Lee answers questions about the dystopian nature of the novel, which is set in a future where Baltimore has become B-Mor, a city of transplanted Chinese laborers; his research trip to a factory in Shenzhen, China; and the roles that environmental issues and immigration play in his narrative.

While testifying before a House panel working on a higher-education bill last Tuesday, Purdue University president and former Indiana governor MITCH DANIELS ’71 suggested a novel plan for helping students pay for college, according to the Indianapolis Star. Instead of a traditional college loan, he said, students could find investors to finance their educations in exchange for a percentage of their future income. He also called for other changes, such as scaling back regulatory burdens on schools and simplifying the financial aid system.

ELLIE KEMPER ’02 is one of 2015’s most beloved stars, according to Vulture. Blogger Sean Fitz-Gerald traces the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt actress’ path to fame with a timeline that includes Kemper’s time with Quipfire!, one of Princeton’s improv comedy groups, and the Princeton Triangle Club. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Netflix’s latest original series, was created by comedian Tina Fey and producer Robert Carlock.

Former New Jersey governor and former president of Drew University THOMAS KEAN ’57 will speak at the 2015 commencement ceremony at Eckerd College, and New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice STUART RABNER ’82 will speak at commencement at Montclair State University.