Princeton Alumni Weekly Podcasts

When students went on strike in May 1970, Howard Zien ’71 went to class — and encountered jeers that made him realize how difficult it is to find middle ground during times of passionate protest. (Season 3, Episode 12)

On this episode of PAW Tracks, Christine Caffrey Johnson ’81 talks about the difficulty of finding her place at Princeton and some of the activities that captured her interest. As an undergraduate, she planned a conference to help her peers think about ways to balance work and family life. Years later, the conversation continues. (Season 3, Episode 11)

For ’71 classmates Geoff Smith, John Drummond, and Brad O’Brien, riding to Reunions by motorcycle last year was a chance to see small-town America and reflect on their college years. (Season 3, Episode 10)

In this episode, Richard Reinis ’66 recalls memorable events from his undergraduate days, including getting the dean’s approval to get married after his sophomore year. Reinis also played football at Princeton, starting on the offensive line for the Tigers’ last undefeated team. (Season 3, Episode 9)

Princeton women’s basketball has become one of the nation’s top mid-major programs, with six NCAA Tournament bids in the last seven years, including the team’s first tournament win, in the first round against Wisconsin-Green Bay, in 2015. But when the program began 45 years ago, players had to work to get basic necessities like court time and quality coaching. Janet Youngholm ’75, one of the team’s founders, marvels at how far the Tigers have come. “We couldn’t see that horizon,” she said, speaking with recent alumnae in early February. “I can’t see it except through you guys in retrospect.” Listen to reflections on the early years of Princeton women’s basketball in this episode of PAW Tracks, which features members of the Classes of ’75, ’76, ’10, and ’13. (Season 3, Episode 8)

April McQueen ’93’s struggles with and recovery from mental illness forced her to revisit her expectations and professional goals. “I believe that it’s made me who I am today,” she says. “I’m living my truth.” (Season 3, Episode 7)

Jenny Korn ’96 tried to build connections as an undergrad, founding Princeton’s Thai-American Student Organization, and that theme has continued, both in her work and in a Chicago-based alumni group.

When Jerry Sorell ’50 *51 and his family fled Austria in 1938, he left behind his hopes of becoming a professional musician. “I decided that chemical engineering would be a way to earn a living,” Sorell says, “and music would be something I really enjoyed.” Nearly eight decades later, his love of violin lives on. (Season 3, Episode 5)

Allison Slater Tate ’96’s career has ranged from TV production to blogging about parenting, and her college experience has been useful at every turn. “In some ways, I’ve been way out of the Princeton track,” she says, “and in other ways, Princeton’s never left.” (Season 3, Episode 4) Editor’s note: This interview was recorded during Reunions at Blair Hall, just as the Alumni Battle of the Bands was beginning outside. We apologize for the background noise.

Adjusting to college life wasn’t easy for Norm Tabler ’66, a freshman from a small town in Indiana — and the shadow of the Cuban Missile Crisis added new anxieties. (Season 3, Episode 3)