Rite of passage

Taking the thesis plunge

Like polar-bear plungers, seniors in the Woodrow Wilson School celebrated handing in their theses at 4 p.m. April 7 with a dip in the Fountain of Freedom. The 40-degree weather did not deter the excited students from carrying on the annual tradition. Other departments, like history and English, which also had April 7 thesis deadlines, held less soggy celebrations with ice cream, cookies, and snacks in their department offices. By Julia Osellame ’09 Photos: Above, tradition trumped cold temperatures for the Woodrow Wilson School's Class of 2009. At right, seniors Carol Shih, Katherine Fallon, and Devjoy Sengupta didn't mind getting their feet wet. (Photos by Julia Osellame ’09)

Recent lacrosse alumni offer their take on Princeton's 'big city' win

Hundreds of Princeton students and lacrosse alumni piled into Giants Stadium April 4 to watch the men's lacrosse team take on the No. 2 Syracuse Orange in the Big City Classic. The Tigers delivered, maintaining an early lead and clinching a 12-8 victory over the defending NCAA champs. With hat tricks from senior Mark Kovler and sophomore Jack McBride, the Tigers (9-1, 2-0 Ivy League) showed the Orange that they came to score big. In four of the team's first nine games, the Tigers have taken more than 50 shots on goal. Before this season, the team had crossed the 50-shot mark only seven times in the last decade. "This year's offense has been incredibly fun to watch and has definitely helped the ’09 Tigers achieve the record they have," said former Princeton midfielder Mike Gaudio ’08. Gaudio noted that the change began during a summer tour of Ireland and Spain, when head coach Bill Tierney encouraged the team to take more shots. Former All-American goalie Alex Hewit ’08 said "the confidence and pride that the offense has been playing with is quite obvious. They are taking chances every time they have the ball, which is very intimidating for the opposing defense." But this offensive success would not be possible without the "strong defensive unit" supporting the team, Hewit added. With the standout freshman goalie Tyler Fiorito backed by veteran defensemen Chris Peyser ’09 and Jeremy Hirsh ’10, the Tigers are strong on both ends of the field. "They are a great group of guys, and it is about time that Princeton lacrosse returns to the prominence they enjoyed in the second half of the ’90s," Gaudio said. Princeton topped Ivy rival Penn, 10-9 in overtime April 7, and has four Ivy games remaining, including home dates against Harvard (April 11), Dartmouth (April 25), and Brown (May 2). By Sarah Harrison ’09  

Angels at 185 Nassau

Lovell Holder ’09, in the role of Prior Walter, and Heather May ’10, playing an angel, rehearse a scene from Angels in America April 1. The Lewis Center for the Arts production, staged at the Matthews Acting Studio at 185 Nassau St., began April 2 and will include performances of "Millennium Approaches (Part One)" at 8 p.m. April 9 and 2 p.m. April 11; and "Perestroika (Part Two)" at 8 p.m. April 10 and April 11. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)  

Researchers, lab unharmed by Italian quake

The powerful earthquake that struck central Italy April 6 did not damage a major underground laboratory that has led to important findings in astroparticle physics by a Princeton team. Physics professor Frank Calaprice, principal investigator of the Princeton team that plays a lead role in the Gran Sasso National laboratory near the city of L'Aquila, said the mile-underground lab had been built to withstand a severe earthquake. The epicenter of the quake was less than 12 miles from the lab, he said. Three Italian employees who worked on the Princeton research were not injured, he said.  

Names in the news

Michelle Obama ’85 isn't the only Princeton alumna looking stylish in O Magazine this month. Law student Keiyana Fordham ’04 was featured in a story about finding the right look for a job interview. [ O Magazine ] Business management consultant Peter Bregman ’89 spoke about starting a business in difficult economic times on CNN. [ American Morning ] William Clay Ford ’79 , executive chairman of Ford Motor Co., told NPR that his company does not need a bailout. [ All Things Considered ] U.S. women's hockey goalie Megan Van Beusekom ’04 shut out Japan in an 8-0 United States victory April 4 at the World Hockey Championships in Sweden. [ Boston Herald ]