As I sat in the Frist Dining Area enjoying a nice late lunch, I picked up a stray copy of Wednesday's Daily Princetonian. I waded through stories of droughts and former alumni being arrested for sexual assault and got to an article that caught my eye. "Racial self-segregation divides campus, society" was emblazoned across the top of the page.
Never before have I really been compelled to write a response letter to the Prince, but if I ever was, it would be to this piece of "investigative reporting." Be warned, however, that although I am an active member of several minority organizations, the opinions expressed in the following letter reflect those of me and me only.
The first issue addressed in the article was the infamous 'Street.' This half-mile stretch of paved roads and strewn beer cans is always a hot topic on campus. The writer, in this case Weili Shaw, states that you will not find a high number of minorities on the Street. This is true, I will admit. That is because there aren't high numbers of minorities on campus. Aside from this fact, one must examine why. Why don't minorities attend the street on a weekly basis? First, you must consider the 'Street' clubs a business. They are. You are charged an extraordinary amount of money to have food that is, for the most part, equitable to the excellent PUDS. So, as any good capitalistic enterprise does, they cater to the majority. And what is the majority of Princeton University.
Well what do you know, the answer, by pure definition, happens to be non-minorities. The dilemma for the street is to attract the most students possible by spending the least amount of money possible, so they cater to the needs of the masses. And what does the majority want? Well according to the 'Street' and its weekly practices, they want watered-down beer, sticky floors, ping-pong balls bouncing in beer as people talk about how much they have drunk that night, all to the beat of DJ Bob in the background spinning the records of Britney Spears and LFO. Of course, this is sprinkled with a little theme here and there, like "Heaven and Hell," "Buck-Naked Night," and my favorite: "Try to avoid the drunken guy as he 'attempts' to dance" night.
Now to many, this may seem like four years of bliss, but to me, it isn't attractive. I like variety. But there are so many different clubs, you might say. I say, they all seem the same to me, with a couple of exceptions. However, some nights, I do drag myself out there looking for entertainment, and though sometimes I do find it, usually my hopes are dashed faster than a freshman male's on the weekend of Houseparties. Often, I find the highlight of the Street are my interactions with the doormen and trying to sneak into clubs.
The next issue presented in the article was that of racial self-segregation, with the example of the Frist dining area given. As it was, I was sitting in Frist at a table. I looked up from the paper and was shocked to find a Hispanic girl sitting across the table from me. "But you're not supposed to be here," I stammered, pointing to the article, as I got up frantically to look for a table of African-Americans to sit with. All jokes aside, I find the term self-segregation ludicrous. Just ludicrous.
Self-segregation means that a group of people make a concerted effort to remove themselves from others. Does that happen? No. I know of no mass underground newsletter that circulates promoting separation from everyone else. I know of no minority who just refuses to sit next to a White person. I know of no minority who will get up and move to another table if a White person sits at their table. Minorities don't self-segregate.
Second, I think that the article ignores a lot of items. When I walk into Frist, I see a bunch of tables occupied by all White students. I see tables that are all Black, all Hispanic, all whatever. I also see tables that are intermixed, regardless of race, religion, and gender. You know what I have learned in my year and a half at Princeton, PEOPLE SIT WITH FRIENDS. I know that may be shocking, but I choose to sit with my friends. I don't like to sit with strangers because when I eat, I also like to talk and crack jokes. While I feel that the more social interaction there is, the better, I don't want to give up having conversations with my friends. Are my friends all African-American? No. Are there some people who have friends only of their race? Yes. Why is this? In making friends, I have learned that people become friends with people they are comfortable with. And we just have to accept that some people are just more comfortable with people of their race.
I would bet that there are some African-American students who have never eaten a meal at a table with a White student. I would be willing to bet my tuition, however, that there are more White students who have never eaten with an African-American student. Some people are just like that.
I would like to spend the latter part of this letter addressing the comments made by various people in the article. To address Salih Eissa's point, as a member of the Black Student Union board, we do spend a lot of money that we shouldn't have to spend on social events to provide an alternative to the 'Street.' Why? Because there is such a high demand for these events. We actually listen to groups of people turned off by the 'Street' and try to offer events that attract this oft-ignored group. We are happy to find that peoples of all races attend our events and would further encourage them to do so. I find that when there is a BSU Reggae Party or an Acción Puertorriqueña Salsa Party these events are well-attended, almost to the point of heat exhaustion. I would like for the University to listen to these voices and perhaps find some way to alleviate their pain.
However, I found one comment to be strikingly odd. Sociology professor Patricia Fernandez-Kelly stated that, "African-American students, although capable and competent, feel defensive of their ego and self-esteem." I truly do not understand the nature of this comment. Maybe I am looking at it wrongly, but from where I stand, it seems to say that somehow African-American students' self-esteem will somehow lower if they interact with other students.
That somehow their egos will be deflated if they choose to sit at a table of non-African-Americans. Why would this happen? Is it because we might find out that we aren't as smart as everyone else? That maybe we don't belong at this esteemed University? And as a result of these fears, we have created this defensive "safe haven" by surrounding ourselves with other African-Americans who serve only as a buoy to our delicate self-esteems?
In conclusion, I find that both Vice President Dickerson and Sam Todd made important comments on what we truly need to accomplish as a society. By interacting with each other, outside of racial, religious and gender boundaries, we will make the University, and ultimately the world, a lot better. Stephen Caldwell is from Stafford, Tx. He can be reached at scaldwel@princeton.edu.
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