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Friday October 28, 2022 vol. CXLVI no. 20
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Campus mourns Misrach Ewunetie ’24
Ewunetie family raises suspicions about circumstances of death as county prosecutor says no ‘criminal activity’ By Katherine Dailey Head News Editor
COURTESY OF JAMIE FEDER ’23
Misrach Ewunetie ’24 at Whitman Dining Hall.
Hundreds gather to honor Ewunetie’s memory at campus vigils By Katherine Dailey head news editor
Two vigils held on Monday — one hosted by the Princeton Ethiopian and Eritrean Student Association (PEESA) and another hosted by the University through the Office of Religious Life
(ORL) — commemorated and honored the life of Misrach Ewunetie ’24, who was found dead on campus on Thursday after being missing for six days. At both events, those who knew Ewunetie shared memories of her brilliance, kindness, and incredibly
generous spirit. Members of Ewunetie’s family were in attendance at the PEESA vigil. PEESA co-presidents Faeven Mussie ’24 and Joachim Ambaw ’24 organized the event, which was held in the University Chapel. See VIGIL page 3
U. AFFAIRS
USG presses administrators for dining pilot details By Hope Perry and Annie Rupertus Staff News Writers
The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) sent a formal request to University administrators on Friday, Oct. 14, requesting an official release of information about the proposed dining pilot for the Spring 2023 semester. The pilot, which would give a test group of juniors and seniors five free meal swipes per week to use at any dining hall, eating club, or co-op, has received criticism from multiple stakeholders — including leaders from USG, co-ops, and the Interclub Council (ICC). Additionally, a USG survey on the program revealed that of the 96 students who agreed to have their reactions shared, 74 percent had mostly negative feedback on the current iteration of the plan, while 11 percent had mixed opinions, and 15 percent were mostly positive. USG’s formal request, which was also sent to undergraduate students via email, asserted that the “lack of official information [about the pilot] has perpetuated confusion and prevented informed discussion among the
undergraduate student body.” The student governing body requested that the University release details of the pilot, “including financial and logistical details as they relate to eating clubs and co-ops,” no later than the week of Monday, Oct. 24. According to the email, USG voted unanimously to issue this request. The Daily Princetonian first broke the news of the planned pilot program on Sept. 22. Since then, USG has solicited feedback on it, including through a student assembly on Oct. 6, which was attended by around 20 students. In a letter published in the ‘Prince’ on Oct. 13, several University administrators cited reports from past accessibility task forces that identified “fluidity” as a key area for improvement in the upperclass dining experience — and noted that the dining pilot would be a way of “testing ideas in real time.” “This principle is particularly relevant today, with the shift to four-year residential colleges, an expanding student body, and the decoupling of housing and dining for juniors and seniors,” the letter reads. “The pilot is meant to help us de-
termine what will and will not work before moving forward with any changes to the current program.” According to USG President Mayu Takeuchi ’23, student perspectives and the recommendations of past task force reports do not seem to be reflected in the current iteration of the pilot proposal. “The concerns … [and] ideas that students have been bringing forward, they have not yet meaningfully shaped the pilot as it stands, and broader discussions of dining program changes,” Takeuchi said. As one example, Takeuchi noted that many students would support the expansion of the meal exchange program. “That [2014-2015] report does address the accessibility of eating clubs and lists a bunch of recommendations — one of those is extending the meal exchange to independent students, which is something that students do genuinely want to see,” she told the ‘Prince,’ referencing an Eating Club Accessibility Report conducted by USG in 2014–2015, which the administrators also referred to in their letter. See PILOT page 3
HEADLINE FROM HISTORY
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RUSTIC THEME TO MARK ‘PUMPKIN PROM’ IN GYM OCTOBER 28, 1939
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The belongings of Misrach Ewunetie ’24, including her phone, “were found with her body,” according to a new statement by Casey DeBlasio, a spokesperson for the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, shared with The Daily Princetonian on Monday. The Office’s involvement in the investigation into Ewunetie’s death is “complete,” DeBlasio added in an email. “As there is no evidence of any criminal activity associated with Ms. Ewunetie’s death, any further inquiries can be directed” to the University’s Department of Public Safety (DPS), she wrote to the ‘Prince.’ An autopsy was conducted on Friday, Oct. 21 by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to DeBlasio. The cause and manner of death will not be reported until all test results, including toxicology results, are received.
“My understanding from the [Medical Examiner’s] Office is that it will be weeks,” DeBlasio added. She also noted that in her experience this timeline was “not unusual or longer than comparable cases.” Ewunetie’s family still has questions surrounding the circumstances of her death, however. Her brother Universe told the U.S. Sun on Monday, “The area she was found makes us feel it was suspicious, some trees had to be cut when they were removing Misrach.” “She was talking to me about a savings account she was going to open, her interview, buying clothes and shipping them to Cleveland, and volunteering at her student club organization,” he added, according to the Sun. Ewunetie’s body was discovered by a University facilities worker behind tennis courts on south campus, according to the statement released by the Mercer County See INVESTIGATION page 2
FEATURES
‘A bubbly ball of energy beyond belief’: Forbes’ Brenda O’Hara reflects on 16 years at the University By Raphaela Gold Features Contributor
It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes several thousand employees to educate and care for Princeton undergraduate students. Brenda “Bee” Loretta O’Hara, known around Forbes College for enthusiastically greeting students as they enter the dining hall, is one such employee. Since she arrived at Princeton in 2006, Brenda has worked at Frist Campus Center, Whitman College, and Forbes College. The conversation below was edited for length and clarity.
Daily Princetonian: What do you prefer people call you? Brenda O’Hara: My full name is Brenda Loretta O’Hara, and a lot of people, like friends and family, call me “Bee,” like a bumble bee. DP: When did you start working at Princeton and what did you do? BO: 2006. I started at Frist, and then in 2007 I went to Whitman, [when it] was built and ready to run, and I helped put Whitman together, emptying boxes … wiping down and cleaning everything. I was at Whitman 2007 to 2016, See O’HARA page 12
This Week on Campus ARTS | The Princeton Tigerlilies 50th Anniversary Concert — Saturday Oct. 29, 4-6 p.m., McCosh 50. SPORTS | Football Homecoming Game vs. Cornell — Saturday Oct. 29, 1 p.m., Princeton Stadium.