Planet Weekend Picks, Nov. 15-17

dodgeball1Friday, November 15

Corner House Annual All-City Dodgeball Tournament – High schoolers from the Princeton area will compete for prizes, a trophy, and bragging rights. $10 fee per team. Each team has eight members. Tournament starts at 7 p.m. at the Princeton High School gymnasium on Walnut Lane. The event is open to the public and spectators are welcome to watch the fun.

Silver Linings Playbook Author Matthew Quick Visits Princeton – The author of the sixth Princeton Reads selection will discuss the book and his latest novel for young adults, “Forgive Me Leonard Peacock” at the culminating event of the biennial community-wide book discussion. John Witherspoon Middle School Auditorium, 217 Walnut Lane, 7 p.m., free.

Saturday, November 16

World Chess Champion Review – Join Jon Edwards, Jonathan Crumiller, Mike Colucci and other local chess masters on the second of three consecutive Saturday nights for a review of the highlights of the games taking place in Chennai, India. The 12-game match pits current World Chess Champion Viswanathan (Vishy) Anand of India against Norwegian chess superstar Magnus Carlsen. Only a basic knowledge of chess is needed to enjoy the games and discussion. Princeton Public Library Community Room, 7 p.m., free.

Yale Jam A Cappella Concert – In keeping with 72 years of Princeton tradition, the Yale Whiffenpoofs join the Nassoons at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall for an A Cappella concert. 8 p.m. Tickets $12.

Sunday, November 17

“War on Whistleblowers: Free Press and the National Security State” – Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films highlights the stories of four individuals who felt compelled to reveal what they considered to be acts of government illegality and violations to the U.S. Constitution in the aftermath of 9/11. Whistleblowers, journalist and experts, such as Michael DeKort, Bill Keller, Jane Mayer, Franz Gayl, and Thomas Tamm are featured. A Q&A will follow the screening. Guest speaker Rahul Sagar is an assistant professor in the department of politics at Princeton University. His first book, “Secrets and Leaks: The Dilemma of State Secrecy” was published by Princeton University Press this year. Princeton Public Library Community Room, 3 p.m.

Barnes & Noble Book Fair supporting Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County – Come by and support JFCS at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at Princeton MarketFair from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.  JFCS will receive a portion of the bookfair sales. Mention JFCS at checkout.

Democracy and the Local Media – Paul Starr, the Stuart Professor of Communications and Public Affairs at Princeton University, moderates a panel on the current state of the media. The event is hosted by the Princeton Community Democratic Organization. Starr is a Pulitzer Prize-winning professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University.  He holds the Stuart Chair in Communications and Public Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School.  He is also the co-editor and co-founder of The American Prospect.  His book, “The Creation of the Media”, received the 2005 Goldsmith Book Prize. Planet Princeton Editor Krystal Knapp will be one of the panelists. 7:30 p.m. at the Suzanne Patterson Center, free and open to the public.