By Donald Gilpin

On the morning of December 8, Islamist rebel troops entered Damascus, Syria’s capital. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia, ending his 24-year regime, which had followed his father’s 29-year rule. Ahmed al-Shara, leader of the rebel faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was formerly linked to Al Qaeda, has called for their terrorist label to be removed and for the U.S. and others to lift all sanctions on Syria. Many other countries, in addition to Iran and Russia, which withdrew their support for Assad shortly before the coup, are involved in Syria with various conflicting agendas.

“We don’t know how that will end,” said one of the experts at a December 17 panel discussion on “A New Era for Syria,” sponsored by Princeton University’s School for Public and International Affairs. That was a sentiment that all could agree on.

Offering a wide range of knowledge and perspectives, the panelists included Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs Dean Amaney A. Jamal, who also moderated the discussion; Deborah Amos, Princeton journalism professor and a longtime international correspondent at National Public Radio and elsewhere; Zaid Al-Ali, a visiting research fellow and lecturer at Princeton and the Senior Program Manager on Constitution Building for the Arab Region at International IDEA; and Marwan Muasher, who is vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the former foreign minister (2002-04) and deputy prime minister (2004-05) of Jordan. more

By Donald Gilpin

The Paul Robeson House of Princeton (PRHP) is preparing to open its doors to the public in time to celebrate in April of 2025, the 127th anniversary of Robeson’s birth.

Restoration and reconstruction of the house at 110 Witherspoon Street where Robeson was born is approaching the final stages, and the board of directors of the Robeson House is currently launching a campaign to raise $600,000 to help complete the project.

“From foundational work to the completion of essential walkways, entrances, and gallery windows, each step forward is a testament to the enduring strength of our community,” the board wrote in a recent letter to supporters. more

By Donald Gilpin

Andre Barnes

Immigration policy was a decisive issue in the recent election, as it has been a widely debated issue around the world and is certain to be a controversial topic in Washington and throughout the country when the Trump administration takes office in the new year.

Andre Barnes, the HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) engagement director for Numbers USA, spoke to a group of about 25 at Princeton University’s School for Public and International Affairs (SPIA) earlier this month, discussing how mass immigration impacts Black Americans. NumbersUSA describes itself as “a nonpartisan public policy organization,” though its restrictive position on immigration is strongly favored by conservatives.

Barnes stressed his focus on “the humanitarian dilemma in immigration policy.” He noted, “Helping one category of person deserving compassion can undermine another category also deserving compassion,” claiming that “domestic humanitarian concerns” can clash with “international humanitarian concerns.” more

By Donald Gilpin

As Municipal Attorney Trishka Cecil reported to Princeton Council at last week’s meeting, the town’s plans for deer management, using both lethal and non-lethal means, are at an impasse.

“I am very disappointed,” Cecil told Council members. “Your constituents, your Council, and White Buffalo [the town’s deer management contractor] all want to include non-lethal means. They want you, as scientists, as people committed to responsible deer management — they want you to be able to use every tool that is available in your toolbox, and you are being confronted with a division that for reasons I cannot understand seems dead set against it.”

Princeton’s deer management program has been in place since 2000, and the existing sharpshooting initiative carried out by White Buffalo Inc., which operates nationwide and specializes in population control of white-tailed deer, has helped to reduce the town’s deer population, with some assistance from recreational bow hunters.  more

By Donald Gilpin

Two new electric school buses will be traveling the roads of Princeton, possibly as early as the summer of 2025, following the award of up to $620,000 from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) as part of a $15 million statewide program to help school districts transition to electric transportation.

The Princeton Public Schools (PPS) announced that the grant will also help to fund a fast-charging station for the electric vehicles. The station requires about six hours to fully charge both vehicles simultaneously, and each will be capable of traveling about 110 miles per charge. Once New Jersey has a program in place, this station will be able to send energy back to the grid during high-demand periods.

PPS Business Administrator Matthew Bouldin applauded the state’s contribution to the district’s sustainability efforts. “We believe governmental entities can and should take the lead in modeling sustainable practices, especially when we can achieve this within our fairly strict budgetary framework,” he said. “Programs like the NJDEP grant make sustainable choices attainable.” more

CENTENARY CELEBRATION: Victor Brombert delivered the closing salute at a 2023 event at Princeton University that celebrated his 100th birthday and the release of his latest book, “The Pensive Citadel.” The legendary scholar, teacher, and World War II hero died last month at 101. (Princeton University, Humanities Council; Tori Repp/Fotobuddy, 2023)

By Donald Gilpin

Beth Archer Brombert, widow of esteemed Princeton University professor, author, and war hero Victor Brombert, who died on November 26 at 101 years old, went out to get the newspaper in the driveway of their Princeton home on the morning of November 30, four days after her husband’s death. She described what happened next.

“On returning to the house, I glanced at the dry, brown clematis on the brick wall to the left of our front door. To my astonishment, on the very top of the desiccated vine, on a stem well above the dead leaves, standing like a star on a Christmas tree, I saw a single purple flower — fully open.” more