Lawnparties returns, and we're back to business as usual

After the publication of David Brooks' "The Organization Kid" in the Atlantic Monthly last spring, many students were outraged at the description of Princeton students as lacking in spirituality or 'seriousness.' Although I was one of those outraged students, I have come to realize the truth in his words. This school is deeply segregated by race, activity and social class. Graduates overwhelmingly go to work in fields not known for their attention to ethical behavior. When describing my Princeton experience to others, I cannot say enough about how good the school is at so many things, while at the same time failing in some essential, yet indescribable fashion.

In the past weeks, however, I have begun to hope that this great school has a chance at achieving that essential spirit. Even Brooks would have to be blind to miss the intensity and direction of the intellectual and spiritual growth occurring here. In the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the Princeton community has come closer than ever to fulfilling its central goal, to teach students to serve "In the Nation's Service and in the Service of all Nations."

During this time the Princeton community has done many things that have proved the existence and presence of a powerful positive force. Whether in formal prayer gatherings at the chapel or in huddled groups in front of the television in Frist, students have shown their capacity for deep and meaningful emotions. Whether in the packed discussions on terrorism led by various departments or over coffee and the front page of The New York Times, students have shown a surprising level of intellectual vitality. I have spoken to many students who confess a renewed sense of purpose and meaning in their college experience. They too have felt this spirit add life and urgency to their normally well-organized lives.

Even at the 'Street,' a location often dismissed as a source lacking any positive social value, students showed their ability to be serious when they cancelled lawnparties two weekends ago. While this cancellation may seem secondary to the uninitiated, lawnparties epitomize everything that is good about the social scene here at Princeton. The music is good, the beer flows freely, but more importantly, people mix and flow from place to place without the usual barriers and exclusion. I look forward to these two weekends more than any other during the year.

With all this praise, one would think that I would be happy about the unofficial rescheduling of lawnparties for this weekend. Under normal circumstances, I would be. But this year, the cancellation of this ritual means so much more to me than one day of social freedom. The cancellation meant that people understood and cared about what was going on around the world. When I read in the paper that lawnparties had been cancelled, I felt as if the members of the community had made a promise to be serious when times require it. I had hoped that this promise to be earnest would extend to the troubling aspects of our own community.

And now? Lawnparties will be held this weekend and students will have a good time. I am not arguing that we should not go out at all, that we should mourn for the duration of the year. I am only disappointed because I have lost my one best proof that this community is capable of great things. The promise, the cancellation, has been changed retroactively into a prudent rescheduling in light of the conflict created by the memorial service two weekends ago. Lawnparties, one eating club officer told me, will be held if only because they are an important advertisement for member-starved clubs on the verge of bankruptcy. My transcendent moment has been reduced to a shrewd business decision.

I told a friend a little while ago that when the smoke clears, I am afraid that people will begin to forget. As the war drums beat louder and louder, it is impossible to forget what has happened and even more impossible to ignore the dangers of the future. But, as "cancelled" is replaced by "rescheduled," we may forget that a great spirit lived for a short moment here at Princeton. I hope and pray that people will remember long enough to make some much-needed changes in our school community. The national solidarity expressed by the omnipresence of the American flag will be meaningless if black and white Princeton students are unable to come together in more lasting and meaningful ways. The nation cannot stand united if Princeton returns to a normalcy that excludes so many of its own members. Mike Long is a politics major from Los Angeles, Calif. He can be reached at mikelong@princeton.edu.