The Weekly Blog: 3/7/07

NOTE: This post was originally published at princetonalumniweekly.blogspot.com/
Hart critiques ‘crusader mentality’

Religious revivals have been common in the United States, former Sen. Gary Hart told an audience in Dodds Auditorium March 6, but except for Prohibition, no revival has been as politicized as the one that has taken place in the last 15 to 20 years. Hart, a Colorado Democrat and onetime presidential candidate, delivered a tough critique of the influence of the religious right on the Republican Party. He said that it represents a threat to separation of church and state, has co-opted dissent, and “flies in the face of the very basic principles” this country has operated under for 220 years.

Hart’s topic was “God and Caesar in America,” taken from the title of a 96-page essay he published in 2005. Hart said a blending of evangelical Protestant fundamentalists and political neo-conservatives resulted in a strong intensity of belief and “a position of political superiority.” This has had consequences both domestically and in foreign policy, Hart said, where it has led to “a crusader mentality, an avenging angel mentality” and the threat of creating “a religious empire.” Until recently, Hart said, he was afraid that the religious right’s ascendance was “a permanent change.” But the results of the November election and the collapse of support for the war in Iraq show that “America is beginning to wake up,” he said.

What we eat and what it means

There are patterns in the way we have consumed food, especially meat, throughout history, according to Ruth Reichl, the editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine and former restaurant reviewer for The New York Times. She spoke to a full auditorium in McCosh 50 March 6 as the J. Edward Farnum lecturer in the University Public Lecture Series. Food, Reichl said, reflects characteristics of society. As societies become wealthier, food becomes less recognizable. While our ancestors “tried to put animals right on the table,” Americans are consuming huge quantities of meat but “don’t want to see its form,” she said. What we’re eating is so disguised, she explains, that a simple muffin can be “a calorie bomb.” Reichl is the author of three books and a former restaurant owner.

 


Naacho takes the stage
Samira Farouk ’07, right, a member of the Indian dance troupe Naacho, performs during the group's appearance March 2 at the Frist Campus Center.

Photo by Frank Wojciechowski



Skating farther, swimming faster
 
Princeton men’s hockey will face Dartmouth in Hanover this weekend in the quarterfinal round of the ECAC Hockey League playoffs. Princeton’s last trip to the quarterfinals came in 1999. The Tigers, fresh off a third-period comeback win in the decisive third game of their series against Brown last weekend, fared well against the Big Green in the regular season, tying Dartmouth in Hanover Nov. 24 and winning 3-0 at home Feb. 10.
At this weekend’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, divers Stuart Malcolm ’07 and Michelle DeMond ’07 will compete in the platform events, and freshman standout Alicia Aemisegger will swim the 400-yard individual medley, the 500-yard freestyle, and the 200-yard breaststroke.
 
More at PAW Online
On the Campus – Christian R. Burset ’07 tells why the Undergraduate Honor Committee was giving out cheeseburgers and why a Chapel service ended with “Happy Trails.”
Under the Ivy – Do you have a copy of Carmina Princetonia? If not, find out what you’ve missed, as Gregg Lange ’70 recalls past editions of the Princeton songbook.
 
Posted by Brett Tomlinson, with reporting by W. Raymond Ollwerther ’71 and Fran Hulette.

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