Princeton: So fresh and so clean

With prospective students set to explore Princeton during the annual pre-frosh weekend, the University seems to be flaunting a calculated image of a campus with strong ties to its community, a 21st century view of sexual violence and a social environment dictated by arts events rather than by alcohol.

Though Communiversity, the USG spring concert and Take Back the Night overlap this weekend, administrators maintain there is no overarching promotional strategy and the myriad events being scheduled this weekend is just a coincidence.

"I think it's just an accident that they occur at the same time," University Vice President and Secretary Thomas Wright '62 said. "Things pile up at the end of the year."

In addition, all but one of the eating clubs — an aspect of campus life that arguably creates the most curiosity for pre-frosh and dominates the social scene — will be off tap this weekend.

Instead, Ivy and Terrace clubs will host poetry readings to coordinate with Take Back the Night — an annual march against sexual violence that will occur Saturday. The candle-lit procession travels around campus to various pre-selected sites, where marchers share their own experiences with the crowd.

Other events this weekend include performances of the plays "Spaghetti Western" and "Macbeth," an orchestra concert, men's and women's lacrosse games, a crew regatta and several other sports contests.

"We wanted as many different events as they [could] see," Dean of Admission Fred Hargadon said. "They're going to get to explore what they want to explore."

However, many students argue that pre-frosh may receive an inaccurate picture of campus life.

Rather than attending a party at the 'Street,' prospective students will be able to attend open houses at the eating clubs. Pre-frosh will also experience special events that occur just once or twice each year.

The semi-annual USG concert Saturday at 4 p.m. will feature bluegrass legend Willie Nelson, preceded by G. Love and Special Sauce in a farewell concert for President Shapiro.

Also, this weekend is Communiversity — a day-long street festival on Nassau and Witherspoon streets, which is organized once a year to promote town-gown unity. Saturday's celebration will include street sales, food booths and outdoor concerts by campus bands.

Despite the lure of this weekend's festivities, Hargadon said many factors were weighed when scheduling the pre-frosh visit for this weekend such as the date acceptance letters are sent, religious holidays and the price of airfare. Hargadon emphasized that this weekend offered particularly inexpensive airfare rates.

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Wright conceded that the combination of vibrant arts events, competitions showcasing the University's most successful sports teams and a weekend of annual festivals should prove extremely enticing for prospectives.

"The more that's going on, the more appealing and the more attractive it's going to be," he said, adding that the exhibited portrait is not inaccurate. "I think Princeton is a multifarious institution with many wonderful facets to it. I don't think they are contradictory. Instead, they show the richness of life at the University."