LIVE BLOG: Dean's Date, Spring 2021
5:08 PM ET: Waves of Relief
Everyone, we did it. CONGRATULATIONS. Those were truly some Olympic typing speeds, coffee counts, and hours slept that we endured these past 24 hours. But we made it through. And now, with Dean's Date 8 minutes behind us, I think we all deserve the reward of this ever-classic song:
Kool & The Gang - Celebration (Official Music Video)
This iconique gif:
And this humble haiku:
Dean's Date is over
I'm most looking forward to
A nap. Then ice cream.
Congratulations on persevering and thriving-just-by-being-yourself this semester, and this year. Let's be proud of ourselves. The Press Club is looking forward to having this be our (hopefully) last ever virtual Dean's Date, so thanks: for procrastinating and meme-ing with us, and for the memories we made along the way. <3
—AA '23 and the UPC, signing off
4: 52 PM ET, Princeton, NJ
Overheard at Frist during the final few minutes...
- “This soup is like a big warm hug.”
- “You got this!”
- “I’m going to be in bed by 9 o’clock this weekend”
- “He gives off serious Math 201 vibes”
- *** lot’s of panicked typing***
-H.K. ’23
4:03 PM ET — Montgomery, AL
This is it, everyone - we’re entering the final hour! Whether you’re frantically typing away at your last essay or you’ve already turned it in and are now facing down exams, I think we could all use a bit of inspiration to keep motivated.
So here’s my inspirational story of choice: the touching tale of how Google search results, against all odds, always manages to figure out what the heck I’m talking about.
Tardigrades. The answer was tardigrades.
My writing sem professor would be ashamed.
Thanks, Lau.
And with that, let’s all buckle down and get those last assignments done - and remember, if Google search results can understand “what are those lil small guys what can live in space,” then you can do anything!
-EW ‘24
2:24 PM ET - Hungry in the Architecture Library
Get some extra calories to fuel your brain in the final stretch without breaking your bank account! Here’s a list of cheap hot foods and desserts you can get around Princeton for less than $4.
- Olives:
- Egg & cheese sandwich $3.95
- Boars Head Hot Dog $3.50
- French Fries $2.95
- Everything in their dessert display ranging from the oversized cookies to baklava, eclairs, cupcakes, and lemon bars
- Coffee: $1.50 for large coffee
- Kung Fu Tea/ Noodle House
- Vegetable Spring Rolls $4
- Junbi
- Rice Balls $3.25 per piece
- Sakura Express
- Miso Soup $2.50
- Chennai Chimney
- All naans ~ $3 or $3.75
- Masala Pappad $3.95
- Dahi $1.95
- Raitha $2.95
- Steamed Rice $3.95
- Mango Lassi $3.99
- All desserts: rasmalai, gulab jamun, gajar ka halwa ~ $3 or $34
- Small Bites by Local Greek
- Greek Fries $3.95
- Mamouns
- Seasoned Fries $3.75
- Falafel Sandwich $4.99
- Falafel Side (4 pieces) $3
- Stuffed grape leaves (4 pieces) $3
- All pastries (baklava, knafe, mabrumeh) $3
- Tacoria
- Mexican street corn $3
- Chips and Guacamole $4
- Tacos $2.95 each
- Qdoba
- Create your own taco $3.70
- Salsa and chips $2.40
- Guac and chips $3.80
- Kids meal all under $5
- Milk & Cookies
- $2.50 per cookie or 3 mini cookies for $2.50
- Mini brownie $1.25
- Mini ice cream sandwich $3
- Say Cheez
- Build your own sandwich $4.95
- Grilled cheese sandwich $4.96
- Empanadas (chicken, beef, or spinach and cheese) $3.75
- Fries ~ $4.75
- KBG
- Fried Dumplings 3 piece $3.50
- Spring Rolls 2 pieces $3.50
- Shrimp Tempura 2 pieces $4
- Chucks Spring Street Cafe
- Most sides < $6 (corn nuggets, pierogies, curly fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks)
- 10 pieces of chicken nuggets for $4.95
- Grill Cheese $4.75
- Bent Spoon / Halo Pub / Thomas Sweet (for your ice cream needs)
- Thai Village
- Thai spring rolls 2 pieces $3.95
- Pizza Den
- Bruschetta/ Pepperoni/ Chicken Parm Slider $3.25 ~ $3.75
- Pretzel Knots $1.75~$3
- Ramen Stop
- Vegetable Kakiage (japanese fried corn and vegetable fritter) $4
- Vegetarian or Pork Gyoza $4
- Takoyajki $5
- Chicken karaage $5
- Tiger Noodles
- Egg Roll or Vegetable Roll $2 ~ $2.80
- Pan fried angel hair or home style noodle $5
- Boiled lo mein or home style noodles $3
- Tomo Sushi
- Most vegetable rolls ~ $4.50
- Red bean mochi $2.50
- Hoagie Haven
- All sandwiches < $4
- All sides < $4 (buffalo fries, hash browns, mac & cheese wedges, etc.)
- Greek salad, egg salad platter, chicken salad platter, tuna salad platter ~ $4
-YL '22
1: 59 PM ET - Princeton, NJ
Did you know that Mudd Library publishes a weekly series of Princeton History?
On THIS day in Dean’s Date history…
- (1876) Students attended the opening of the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the first official World’s Fair in the U.S., which was celebrating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
- (1947) W.E.B. Du Bois reported to the Chicago Defender that the University had once written to him that they had never had students of African American descent, which was later proven was untrue.
- (1991) Former President George H. W. Bush was on campus to dedicate the University’s Social Science Complex and receive an honorary Doctor of Laws.
-H.K. ’23
12:22 PM ET — Princeton, NJ
In yet another attempt to procrastinate my still-unfinished papers, I took the liberty of looking up the national holidays that fall on Dean’s Date this year. With that, I wish you all a Happy National Clean Your Room Day!
This seems all too fitting for a procrastinator like me. One of my favorite ways to put off any pressing obligations is to buckle down and start an ill-timed deep-clean of my living space. You know what they say: a cluttered space reflects a cluttered mind. There’s nothing like a clean room to give you the clarity you need to churn out those last few pages before 5pm. And while you’re at it, if you’re still living on campus, this may also be a great time to get a head start on packing. No better time than the present.
On an entirely separate note, if you’re feeling those midday hunger pangs, perhaps you might enjoy a seafood lunch in honor of National Shrimp Day.
Either way, I hope that any lingering assignments do not interfere with your ability to celebrate these two extremely important holidays.
-AC '24
10:34 AM ET — Las Vegas, NV
As a freshman, it was fairly easy to avoid the fate of the traditional college diet of instant noodles and snack food because of having to eat in dining halls. My year-long remote college saga has gradually drained my will to cook though, and so I find my fridge slowly accumulating easy-to-prepare food, snacks scattered throughout the house.
Despite my reservations about how healthy it all is, at least for the remainder of this Dean’s Date, this'll have to do.
-RBH ‘23
9:20 AM ET -- Princeton, NJ
Multiple times in the past few weeks, I have heard fireworks outside my window, coming from Poe field. Most likely, they were set off by seniors who are now PTL, but what if it wasn’t? What if something more …sinister… was afoot?
Complete the following Mad Libs-esque adventure to find out what happened!
- adjective
- noun
- plural noun
- adverb ending in -ly
- campus building
- valuable item found in said building
- noun
- verb
- plural noun
- famous Princeton alumnus
- noun
- noun
- adverb ending in -ly
- noun
- Eating Club
One spring day, a group of ____1____ thieves came up with a devious plan to invade Princeton. Using a ____2_____ and some ____3_____, they ____4_____ entered ____5_____, bypassing the prox scanners. They were searching for ____6_____. A ____7_____ tripped the group up, forcing them to ____8_____ to continue their mission. Even wild ____9_____ couldn’t stop the group because they were being tasked with it by ____10_____. After stumbling past a ____11_____ and a ____12_____, they were successful. However, on their way out, the alarm started blaring, so they ____13_____ set off a blast of fireworks and quickly escaped in a ____14_____. It’s rumored that the lost item is now hidden in ____15_____, but the reasons behind the theft remain unknown.
Yours Mad-Libbedly,
-VP ‘22
9:15 AM ET — Midlothian, Virginia
As your favorite '24, I'm thrilled to share with you my most exclusive and important reporting to date: a short interview with the person behind the Chris Eisgruber Burner account on Twitter, @EisgruberMemes. I'm not able to share the identity of the person behind the account, but here's a sneak peek into the mind of a Twitter genius, via email
1. How, when and why did you start the Eisgruber burner account?
Around a year ago, I discovered the "Stephen A. Smith Burner” account on Twitter, which posted memes of the ESPN personality. (Unfortunately, Twitter recently suspended the account for using copyrighted music, I think.) I thought that running a similar account centered on President Eisgruber would be pretty funny, and I really enjoy making people laugh. Here's a relevant Eisgruber clip:
Also, I like to think that this account opposes Princeton's image as an ivory tower. We might see stuff like memes as lowbrow, but if we want this school to form meaningful connections with society, I think we need to be more humble.
2. Where do all of the clips you get come from?
Most of my clips come from this website: https://mediacentral.princeton.edu/. I've also pulled stuff from, like, the university's YouTube account.
3. What other burner accounts have inspired you?
I try to keep the same spirit as the Stephen A. Smith burner. (The owner of that account was interviewed here: https://brobible.com/culture/article/interview-stephen-a-smith-burner-twitter/.) I'll also give a shout-out to @LarryBaMoo and @PresMTL on Twitter, who parody Harvard and Stanford's presidents, respectively.
4. Have people confused you with the real Eisgruber on Twitter?
Yep, but not recently. At least a couple of people have replied to me talking about things like the Department of Education investigation, which I found really funny.
5. Do you know if Eisgruber/others in the Princeton admin are aware of the account?
Ben Chang liked this Tweet from a while ago: https://twitter.com/EisgruberMemes/status/1284168160283889664. But besides that, I have no idea.
6. What is something that people don't know about running a burner account?
I think I have suspiciously above-average knowledge of Eisgruber's background and the stuff that his administration has done. If you ever talk to someone who's like this, they might be me!
7. Anything else you want to add?
I know this is corny, possibly even something that Eisgruber would say, but don't be afraid of taking on big projects or putting yourself out there if it means doing what you think is right. Something something in the service of humanity.
—GT '24
5:55 AM ET — New York
It's 5:55! Time to thrive!
That's it. That's the post.
—AA '23
5:00 AM ET — Montgomery, AL
As we head towards the dawn of Dean’s Date, many of us are looking back on our first year at Princeton - and what a strange year it’s been. But now’s the time to look forward! I’ve asked several of my fellow freshmen what they’re most looking forward to when we return to in-person instruction in the fall, and I’ve related to each of their responses.
“Better dining hall food and in-person classes.”
“Being able to actually step into the buildings and classrooms that I walked past every day.”
Personally, I’m excited to experience a normal dining hall meal (and this fabled “late meal” I’ve heard so much about). Most of all, I can’t wait to be able to sit in a physical classroom again, complete with all its little interactions and collective energy.
“For me, at least, this first year was very difficult because it wasn’t at all like what I’d expected it would be. But I’ve met some cool people and am really looking forward to getting a richer ‘college experience’ next semester.”
To all my fellow first-years, let’s finish this year strong (or weak, so long as we finish it) and meet each other in class next semester!
-EW ‘24
4:29 AM ET — Princeton, NJ
No thoughts, just Charles Darwin: "But I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate everybody and everything." Same, Charles.
Hang in there, y'all. Everyone has rough days. Thankfully this one will be over in just 12.5 hours <3
—BRW'24
3:25 AM ET — Las Vegas, NV
When was the last time you actually used a scientific or graphing calculator for one of your classes? Even concentrating in a more quantitative field, I don’t recall ever needing one ever since I came to Princeton. Unfortunately for me, the elimination of the calculator from my life has also ripped away a (somewhat) core element of my middle and high school experience - procrastinating via calculator programs.
Most Texas Instrument calculators you see today allow for the execution of custom programs. These could be functions like a quadratic formula solver, but the calculator already comes with a bunch of these. Instead you can run games, albeit with really awkward controls.
There’s no need to create these apps yourself. A quick Google search brings up https://www.ti84calcwiz.com/ or https://www.calculatorti.com/ti-games/ti-83-plus-ti-84-plus/ for games on the TI-84 Plus CE model that I have. There are some original games, and then games like Chess, Minesweeper, and Poker.
Your options expand with the TI-NSpire CX. Besides better graphics, you can get more complicated games like Monopoly and Risk. It can also emulate the Game Boy Advance and older gaming consoles, but that’s a whole different matter.
In the end, my calculator is still going to be sitting on my desk gathering dust. But I’ll be keeping my eye out for any uncommon electronic device I use regularly that can run custom code. Playing Solitaire on an old digital camera is just a unique experience.
-RBH ‘23
2:54 AM ET — Princeton, NJ
Building on AA'23’s previous post…sometimes, good music is the only thing that keeps me going in the face of an unrelenting grind. If you, like me, are feeling uninspired by your current study playlist, here’s a lineup of appropriately-titled jams to vibe to while you crank out those final pages.
- Up All Night (Khalid)
- HELP ! (POORSTACY)
- I Don’t Think I’m Okay (Bazzi)
- Running Thru 3AM (Aeris Roves)
- half alive (blackbear)
- I’m Done So Done (Yung Nazty)
Good luck, fellow audiophiles: the night is still young!
—BRW '24
2:37 AM ET — New York
In need of some music to pump you up for the rest of the wee hours of the morning? Might I suggest this absolute banger that has been getting me through:
Determinate - Lemonade Mouth - Disney Channel
TURN THE WORLD INTO YOUR DANCE FLOOOOOR
—AA '23
12:49 AM ET — Self Care Express
We're gearing up for a (potentially extremely) long night. Even though it's stressful and we're sitting at our laptops fervently clicking away, it doesn't mean that we can't take a moment to practice self-care. For example: who says you can't look fabulous in a face mask as you write your POL paper?
If you're looking for a sign to go full-on spa during this Dean's Date night shift, ~this is it~.
Join the party. I'm typing this with a face mask on. It's awesome.
—AA '23
12:03 AM ET — Princeton, NJ
It is now officially Dean’s Date, as confirmed by the one and only isitdeansdate.com. With the strike of twelve, many of us may be gearing up for a long night. For me, that means food. To quell the embarrassingly loud grumblings of my complaining stomach, I made the inevitable trip to Wawa — only to find that it is temporarily closed until 12:15 (due to being short-staffed).
So consider this a PSA to write just one more paragraph before you make your trek out for some late night snacks— hopefully by then, you will both be a fraction of the way closer to finishing your paper, and save yourself precious moments of unnecessary waiting outside of Wawa. But if you, like me, cannot wait the extra few minutes, here are some alternatives to temporarily hold you over:
- The dhall apple that you convinced yourself you would eat but is now, one week later, still sitting uneaten and (hopefully) unblemished.
- A care package snack courtesy of your RCA/PAA.
- An instant ramen. Never disappoints.
- All of the above.
-AC '24
11:52 PM ET — Darkness in the Chancellor Green Library
In the depths of the new engineering library in the basement of McDonnell Hall/ Fine Hall, there is a whole wall dedicated to the map of Princeton and the surrounding town. The pink map cuts off just a little above our 600-acre, semi-rectangular campus–isolated from the rest of the bustling world and life that lies beyond it.
In the final hours of this long, fragmented semester, your correspondent would like to direct you to the different maps of Princeton below to take a quick break and remember the things that make us whole, and the histories that came before us. The spaces we encounter, the routes we take, the fountains we frequent, the library seats we reserve (and forget about) are all part of our experience at Princeton. Below are some maps to share these stories.
First, we have the campus map offered under the Visit Us page on the University website. There’s nothing particularly engaging about the map. It gives a good overview of the different facilities on campus and the University boundaries but realistically, I can’t imagine the map being useful to any visitors nonetheless a fair share of the students who came to campus for the first time/ returned to campus for the first time in a while this spring.
As of 10:53pm EST, the night before Dean’s Date, our campus energy usage looks as shown below. Firestone Library energy usage is looking surprisingly low..which hopefully means you’re about done for tonight! Your correspondent is sitting in the dark at the Chancellor Green library in East Pyne–for those of you wondering what the gray might mean. You can find more information about energy usage around campus on the Office of Sustainability’s Energy Heat Map.
Your correspondent was unable to find a digital copy of the bottle-filling stations map that received a lot of interest on reddit. I’m sure there used to be a map of the printer locations on the facilities website as well but it doesn’t seem to be there anymore.
Below is the accessibility map of campus provided by Facilities. All the buildings in yellow or lighter shades of green are not accessible on one or more of the levels. If anyone has any information about the building accessibility of different eating clubs, would love to hear more.
Princeton University is built on the ancient homeland and traditional territory of the Lenape people. The Lenape territory stretched from eastern Pennsylvania/ northern Delaware to southern New York and Western Long Island. Princeton University (the College of New Jersey) was among the first higher education institutions to matriculate Native American students to “acculturate” them into Anglo-American society. You can read more about the three Lenape students in the class of 1762, 1776, and 1789 here:
https://slavery.princeton.edu/stories/indians-slavery-and-princeton.
https://library.princeton.edu/njmaps/conclusion.html
Here’s a map of Princeton from 1932 by Jacob Riegl Jr. (1889-1959) taken from David Rumsey Historical Map Collection. Find your dorm!
Your correspondent lives in Dod Hall. In the hour I spent procrastinating on her Dean's Date, I learned that Dod Hall was named after Albert Baldwin Dod (1805-1845), “a Princeton professor and one of the last remaining slaveholders in Princeton.” from the Princeton & Slavery Project Historical Campus Landscape Map. You can learn more about the Princeton & Slavery Project here.
-YL '22
11:21 PM ET — New York
Some blackout poetry for your Dean's Date Eve: crafted painstakingly from Lucretius' On the Nature of the Universe (Oxford World's Classics Edition):
—AA '23
10:08PM ET -- Rochester Hills, MI
A continuation of my last post re: the questions:
1. What are you most excited about once summer officially begins? or
2. What's one thing you wish you'd known before the semester started?
"It’s okay to find fault in the University that will ultimately pave my future. And it's okay to be angry. Because how I feel is valid and I shouldn’t feel bad about expressing how I feel."
"Know when and how to be there for the people in your life. Know that this semester is going to be a challenging one - mentally, emotionally, academically, humanly."
"It's just your ego forcing you to take harder classes! It's okay to give yourself a break and admit when you've got too much on your plate."
"I need a structured schedule to get anything done, so make sure to book library hours in advance and make a calendar that is sustainable."
"It's going to be essential to have a microwave in my room because the nearest kitchen is a trip outside and five flights of stairs down."
"My summer will consist of the four food groups: salad, sun, sleep, and Shakespeare."
"I'm excited to shower without shoes and eat a bowl of fresh fruit." (Amen to that).
"There is a Wawa rewards app. I repeat: There is a Wawa rewards app. (Not sponsored by Wawa)."
A few more nuggets of wisdom and joy for you! Hang in there, everyone!
-JY '22
9:13 PM ET -- Princeton, NJ
Ironically, the only paper I have this semester is due on Friday, and instead I have an exam tomorrow, so this vocabulary exercise will be my break from numbers for the day.
While I may not be able to deliver the same level of prose as GT’22, I will strive to use the skills gained from elementary school posters to entertain your procrastinating souls.
Down to the last week, the
Ending of
Another semester is
N’igh.
So, grab your laptop and charger, and maybe a
Drink (or six) of coffee,
And get ready because as
The saying goes, diamonds are made under pressur
E.
Yours acrostically,
-VP ‘22
8:00PM ET -- Rochester Hills, Michigan
Hi everyone! First off, to echo what others have been saying, a round of applause for all your hard work - not just during reading period but all semester long. We're almost there!
In the spirit of endings (and beginnings), I've compiled a few quotes from students, either looking forward to the summer ahead or backwards at the semester they've (nearly) completed:
"People are more open to go on walks and stuff than you might think. So don't be afraid to ask."
"I wish I'd known to reach out to people more often because the weeks just fly by."
"Take care of yourself mentally and don't get too caught up in the little things."
"Be present!"
"Don't spend $20 on Nassau every day."
-JY '22
5:59PM ET — Midlothian, Virginia
For our last Dean's Date liveblog, yours truly (everyone's favorite '24) wrote a spoof of "A Visit From Saint Nicholas." This semester, here's a poem after Robert Frost, composed on the way from Princeton today as I moved out and drove back home.
Driving Home From Princeton on a Dean’s Date Evening
What ramp this is I think I know.
I drove here only months ago;
To start my college journey here
At Princeton, right before the snow.
The spring has taken my last tear —
But, happy, all, the end is near! —
Between the grades and no spring break
The worst semester of the year.
I did have many friends to make,
And many Wawa trips to make.
(There are some plans you shouldn’t keep,
Like skinny dipping in the lake.)
My memories are soft and deep,
But I have projects to complete,
Essays to write before I sleep,
Essays to write before I sleep.
—GT '24
5:00PM ET — Princezoom, Zoom Jersey
Tigers: we’ve made it. After this long, stressful, sobering year and semester, with hope and heartbreak in equal measure, we have made it to the near-finish line. It is 24 hours until the university’s Dean’s Date deadline, and thus begins-eth the University Press Club’s 24-hour, live blog coverage of The Big Day.
In this essay we will…
Tell you jokes. Give you memes. Report on *pressing* DDate newz. Ask you very important questions (take our SURVEY for a chance to be featured in our live blog!!)
Before we begin, a serious note: we want to acknowledge the collective burnout, sorrow, and stress we’re feeling. This message from KM ’22, sent to the First College listserv today, says it well:
Let’s take care of ourselves, and each other. We hope that this live blog can make you laugh and bring you a lil bit of joy, as we move towards the semester’s finish line.
now: lEt tHe cOUntdOwN bEgiN
—AA '23