By YoniBenyamini
It’s been a wild and often difficult year.
Since September, we’ve complied with Title IX, defeated grade deflation and given the Wawa an impressive makeover. We followed Will Gansa ’17 through his presidential bid, investigated a sex photo controversy and motioned to Hose Bicker. We were arrested at Varsity Liquors, voiced our outrage at experimental percussion, debated misogyny and disputed divestment.
It’s been an impassioned year in review, mounted upon a backdrop of gripping emotion. Overcome by moments of laughter and joy, of tears and incredible frustration. What of the year ahead?
To the graduating seniors, congratulations. It’s been an absolute pleasure, and we’re eagerly awaiting your achievements beyond the bubble. You’ve inspired us, challenged us to think differently and added a new narrative to the fabric that is Princeton. Outside the white picket fences of leafy New Jersey awaits the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
To the restless juniors, the sandwiched sophomores and the unassuming freshmen, become the most amazing version of yourselves. Build yourselves, and not your resumes. Focus on your relationships, be deliberate in your friendships and seek out intellectual satisfaction you won’t find anywhere else. Learn what emotions are, for despite the pain you might experience, you can experience greater pleasures. And don’t wait until after college to figure out what you eventually want out of life. Rather, immerse yourself in it and embrace the little things that make you smile throughout the stress.
To the starry-eyed prefrosh, welcome to some of the best — and some of the most challenging, to say the least — years of your lives. The triumphs and tragedies that define you will inspire the cravings, creations and obsessions of your future classmates. You’ll be humbled by the virtuosos and connoisseurs down the hall, starstruck by the sheer athleticism of your roommates and awed by the assiduous dedication of your peers.
If I can offer you any parting words of advice, don’t be afraid to quit. You have too little time to spend compromising. Do things that excite, inspire and fill you with the curiosity to transcend the ordinary. Don’t settle for anything less.
YoniBenyamini is an ORFE major from Roslyn, New York. He can be reached atyb@princeton.edu.
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Wynne Conger“Although today’s encampment represents a significant and monumental stride in campus activism, the culture of the Orange Bubble must fundamentally shift in order to ensure long term change.”
Protesting for peace and justice
Nura Liepsner“To me, the work that pro-Palestine protesters at Princeton, across the nation, and abroad are fighting for can be viewed as a part of a much larger dream of liberation.”
“To me, the work that pro-Palestine protesters at Princeton, across the nation, and abroad are fighting for can be viewed as a part of a much larger dream of liberation.”
Encampments are not ‘inherently unsafe.’ Princeton should not arrest or expel students for them.
Daily Princetonian Editorial Board“We urge Princeton to cease student arrests and to refrain from expelling students simply for engaging in prolonged protest.”
“We urge Princeton to cease student arrests and to refrain from expelling students simply for engaging in prolonged protest.”
