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(12/08/15 7:30pm)
Much has already been expressed about the recent Black Justice League protest, but the backlash over the mandated cultural competency training has really surprised me. I understand that some of the demands, like removing Wilson’s name from campus buildings, are controversial to say the least. But I honestly thought that basic faculty and staff cultural competency training would not be nearly so contentious.
(11/19/15 11:05am)
By now there has been a lot written about the recent activism at Yale and Mizzou both within and outside the Orange Bubble. Though the heart of the issue is about the systemic and structural racism that still pervades college campuses, including the University’s, the debate has largely become one about free speech. While most pieces have centered around debating this right and to what extent, if any, it should be restricted, few have discussed the responsibilities that go along with that right. And because of the dearth of conversation on that important ethical aspect of this discussion, I’d like to add one more log to the pile.
(10/27/15 7:46pm)
A Sept. 29articlein The Daily Princetonianon “We Speak: Attitudes on Sexual Misconduct at Princeton University” survey results began by stating, “1 in 3 undergraduate women have experienced inappropriate sexual behavior at U.” The University’s own story on these results led with: “a sizeable majority [of students] knows where to go on campus for help following an incident of nonconsensual sexual contact.” The community’s response to the survey results has been disappointingly muted, perhaps because no one was surprised by the appalling facts the data exposed. Even the email from U. President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 described the findings as “heartbreaking” and “disturbingly and unacceptably high,” but he never suggested the numbers were shocking.
(10/19/15 5:40pm)
My friends are well accustomed to my feminist rants by now. But last week when I asked if anyone else had seen the “Colonial Mansion” party signs with the playboy bunny logo, none of us could believe that it was actually happening. (At least not at Colonial.) But sure enough, over the next few days more and more posters popped up around campus.
(10/15/15 6:35pm)
In the past year, there have been quite a few stirrings about expanding the University, with relatively little public discussion about it or what it means. However, before the University takes action on expanding, I’d like a little more discussion on why we shouldn’t.
(10/04/15 6:00pm)
Let me just put this out there: I’m not a fan of the eating club system. I’m especially not a fan of Bicker. I would prefer not to segregate people in any manner for the social functions of eating and partying. I think we should allow people to eat and party with whomever they want, whenever they want without having to jump through any hoops. I simply don’t approve of any system that unnecessarily divides and excludes people, especially when the criteria for entrance are based on subjective reasons rather than legitimate merit. Whether we intend or not, such exclusivity breeds elitism, and it unquestionably creates real divisions among the student population.
(09/28/15 10:18am)
This past weekend my Facebook news feed blew up with photos of smiling girls in green or white — images from sorority bid day. Same thing happened last year, and the year before. I am not interested in participating in Greek life and so am not personally bothered by the online wall of ecstatic new pledges. However, I can’t help but think of all those who were rejected this year, or in past years, and how painful that visual reminder must be to those women.Though I understand the urge to publicly share one’s new colors and excitement, I urge all those who are admitted to selective organizations to think twice before posting that pride publicly online. Even waiting 24 hours before posting might help. Though not posting or at least taking a short delay before posting will have little impact on your happiness, it might really make a difference for someone on the other end who didn’t have the same good fortune as you.Granted, I understand why people post all these photos. When you get admitted to a selective organization, you’re ecstatic and want to share the news and your excitement. Plus, you spend the morning and following evening surrounded by other elated people, so it’s very easy to simply forget about all those who heard the opposite news.However, there are quite a few people who hoped for the same happy outcome and didn’t get it. And while everyone is posting on your wall about how glad they are that you all are now “sisters,” those who are “outside the family” invariably will see all those posts. These in-your-face online reminders can’t help students get over this arbitrary rejection any quicker.I know the “rejection is a part of life” argument. I agree that students need to learn from disappointment and grow from it. But can’t we show some empathy and tone down the excitement somewhat? Publically posting photos isn’t what should make someone who got in happy; presumably it is the actual admittance itself that makes people happy, not unintentionally rubbing it in everyone else’s face. (Let’s grant everyone this benefit of the doubt that they are not intentionally gloating.) The rejection lesson can be learned just as well, if not better, from a less arbitrary admission scheme.This unnecessary action can have real potential consequences on others' happiness. Rejection during rush can really affect people’s self esteem. For example, at Duke University this past January, a presentation to students about sorority recruitment included a sober reminder about students being able to visit the campus mental health counselors if needed.Moreover, this emotional “piling on” applies to so many events beyond bid day photos. There are numerous selective organizations on campus, and for every single person who gets in, there are probably another three or four who don’t. Just think back to when we all were getting admitted to colleges during our senior year of high school. Many of us probably came from schools where many peers were applying to the same university.It isn’t particularly encouraging to see other people posting acceptances nightly while you are still waiting to hear from colleges or if you have already been rejected from your first choice school. We usually are sensitive to our friends’ feelings in matters like this. But shouldn’t we also demonstrate some humility in general, knowing that other people are hurting? Injuring other women, even unintentionally, seems to be contrary to the concept of sisterhood that sororities espouse. Surely sisterhood and supporting other women can extend beyond the boundaries of the sorority.Students have this debate practically annually when discussing bicker or pickups for various organizations. While pickups are a great way for people on the inside to celebrate, they make anyone who didn’t get in feel like crap. It’s especially tough when it splits roommates — and (when shaving cream used to be allowed) left the roommate to clean up while understandably, although incorrectly, feeling inadequate. To me this situation almost seems even more questionable when it comes to something as arbitrary as getting into a sorority, where admittance is even more capricious and not a sign of any real talent or skill. The scale seems to tip even more in favor of being considerate of those who didn’t get admitted because there really isn’t anything concrete to brag about or that sets you apart in this case. With no explicit requirements to meet to be accepted, the rejection could otherwise hit especially close and reinforce our basest insecurities.Again, I’m not telling people not to be happy when they get into a selective group. Nor am I assuming that people are posting photos with the intention to make others feel badly – I assume it is just a manifestation of people’s joy. So go ahead and celebrate. Just please take a minute to think about those who aren’t celebrating with you before you publicly share your glee. Perhaps a delay and/or moderation wouldn’t detract from your happiness, but it could be a big help to others.Marni Morse is a politics major from Washington, D.C. She can be reached at mlmorse@princeton.edu.
(09/15/15 5:40pm)
With the start of a new school year, everyone is eager to impart his or her advice on how to face the future. In doing so, they largely forget about their pasts. While I wouldn’t dare suggest I have any better advice, I think people often forget to look back and think about how they want to maintain past relationships moving forward. I’ve done a lot of reaching back as I’ve grown, and I think it’s perhaps something we all, incoming freshmen and returning students alike, could do a bit more conscientiously.
(05/05/15 10:48am)
In the midst of formals and Lawnparties, I doubt many people have paid much attention to the round of changes to Princeton’s sexual assault policies the Council of the Princeton University Community finalized on Monday. These latest revisions primarily are in response to requested policy clarifications from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Education.
(04/07/15 1:47pm)
If “Jackie” wasn’t actually raped initially, she certainly has been victimized now — this time by Rolling Stone, her three friends, the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and the University of Virginia and its administrators.
(03/23/15 3:03pm)
If you had asked me a month ago if our women’s basketball team was any good, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. And I even know someone on the team.
(03/03/15 2:35pm)
The 2011 Women’s Leadership Report revealed a disturbing reality — in the “highly visible positions” of major student groups on University campus, women held fewer of the top spots since right after the first decade that the University began accepting women. The findings of this report ignited an effort across campus to try to understand why this was the case and how to reverse the trend.
(02/16/15 6:40pm)
If all the recent coverage about sexual assault on college campuses has done anything, it has encouraged people to scrutinize more closely the prevalence of sexual assault and the difficulty of bringing justice as well as to brainstorm potential solutions. The very public cases at Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Vanderbilt University, and theUniversity of Virginia, as well as the federal Office of Civil Rights mandated policy changes at a number of institutions, have ignited policymakers and university administrators to finally begin to take action.
(02/02/15 6:30pm)
I’d like to think that most people at the University know and care about the recent trial in Tennessee, in which two former Vanderbilt University students were convicted of the gang rape of a fellow student. (Two additional former students are awaiting trial for the same incident.) After all, despite being states away, we too have recognized that sexual assault is a problem on campus, as evidenced by the reforms adopted by the administration this past fall that sought to improve the school’sability to respond adequately to such crimes in accordance with Title IX obligations. However, I fear that Princeton students, like those at other universities around the United States, tend to ignore and dismiss these problems that don’t directly involve them. Unfortunately that blissful ignorance, highlighted by the attitudes of Vanderbilt students toward this horrific rape case, seems to exist here, there and all around, perpetuating the existing rape culture and preventing fundamental change.
(12/08/14 6:50pm)
When I first read the Rolling Stone article about rape at the University of Virginia, I was shocked and outraged, as most other readers were. Nearly unanimous national horror erupted at how UVA, which unfortunately is not unique in this matter, has handled sexual assault on campus. This outrage seemed to create enough pressure to finally spur significant changes. UVA temporarily closed fraternities as they pledged reform.
(11/24/14 7:01pm)
As a Jewish student interested in politics, I’ve followed the divestment debate closely, and I’ve been extremely disappointed by what I’ve encountered.
(11/18/14 7:18pm)
Last month, The Daily Princetonian published University documents from a pending lawsuit against the University for its forced “voluntary” withdrawal of a student with mental health issues. And there was little to no student reaction. Unfortunately, by now it isn’t astounding to me that Princeton students are largely ignoring important, student-related issues in their regular conversations. But even so, it is strange to see how little student attention has been given to the ongoing lawsuit against the University regarding discrimination due to mental health concerns given that students have already identified this as a critical concern.
(11/04/14 6:52pm)
Last Wednesday, students across the world carried their mattressesto support Columbia University student Emma Sulkowicz and to raise awareness about sexual assault on college campuses. Students from over 130 campuses participated, including Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Michigan, Northwestern, Syracuse, Rutgers and the Central European University in Hungary. Politicians like Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) tweeted support.
(10/21/14 6:41pm)
This past week, there was yet another complaint about college sexual misconduct policy, this time at Harvard. After Harvard announced a new sexual misconduct policy, one that looks more or less like Princeton’s, a group of 28 Harvard Law School faculty submitted a statement decrying the changes as doing “more harm than good.”
(10/07/14 6:24pm)
Last week, Newby Parton wrote quite the controversial column. He began by discussing our revised sexual assault policy but quickly devolved into perceptions of equating feminism with misandry, which were unsubstantiated and which unfortunately furthers a very harmful and false societal trope and obfuscates the much-needed, meaningful dialogue regarding sexual assault. Let me just state for the record that I’m all for edgy pieces that put forth a controversial view, especially one that sparks debate across campus, as this one did. Many valid viewpoints about feminism exist that are important for our generation to debate —from what it is, to what it should be, to what we can and should do about it —yet Parton’s legitimization of harmful stereotypes is not one of these viewpoints.