Letters to the Editor

Hatred not tolerated on campus

Last week, a student discovered a hateful epithet written on the inside of her dormitory room door. The slur is one that would be regarded by most of us as hostile toward members of the gay community at Princeton and/or their straight allies. There is no place in our community for actions that demean, threaten or injure another person because of his or her personal characteristics or beliefs and serious disciplinary action will be pursued if the perpetrator is identified.

As the academic year begins, it is important for all of us to consider the essential values and characteristics of our community and remind ourselves of the standards of conduct we have set forth to preserve these values. It is therefore a fitting moment to highlight two very important expressions of community: the statements on "Respect for Others" and "Community and Diversity." You will find both of these statements in Rights, Rules, Responsibilities, and they are reprinted below for your reference. We call upon all members of the community not only to abide by these standards themselves but also to challenge expressions of hatred whenever they encounter them. Janet Smith Dickerson Vice President for Campus Life Kathleen Deignan Dean of Undergraduate Students Editor's Note: The following paragraphs were taken from the 2002 edition of "Rights, Rules, Responsibilities" which can be found online at http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/rrr/02/.

Respect for Others

Respect for the rights, privileges, and sensibilities of each other is essential in preserving the spirit of community at Princeton. Actions which make the atmosphere intimidating, threatening, or hostile to individuals are therefore regarded as serious offenses. Abusive or harassing behavior, verbal or physical, which demeans, intimidates, threatens, or injures another because of his or her personal characteristics or beliefs is subject to University disciplinary sanctions as described above. Examples of personal characteristics or beliefs include but are not limited to sex, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, and handicap. Making tolerance of such behavior or submission to it a condition of employment, evaluation, compensation, or advancement is an especially serious offense. Procedures for resolving complaints or grievances on such matters are discussed on pages 19-21.

Princeton University strives to be an intellectual and residential community in which all members can participate fully and equally, in an atmosphere free from all manifestations of bias and from all forms of harassment, exploitation, or intimidation. As an intellectual community, it attaches great value to freedom of expression and vigorous debate, but it also attaches great importance to mutual respect, and it deplores expressions of hatred directed against any individual or group. The University seeks to promote the full inclusion of all members and groups in every aspect of University life.

Statement on Diversity and Community

Princeton University is a community devoted to learning. We actively seek students, faculty, and staff of exceptional ability and promise who share in our commitment to excellence in teaching and scholarship, and who will bring a diversity of viewpoints and cultures. By incorporating a broad range of human experiences and a rich variety of human perspectives, we enlarge our capacity for learning, enrich the quality and texture of campus life, and better prepare for life and leadership in a pluralistic society.

As a community, we respect the dignity, individuality, and freedom of each member. At the same time, we strive to be a place where individuals and groups learn with and from each other. We aim to foster a sense of shared experience and common purpose, along with a collective responsibility for each other's well-being and for the well-being of the University as a whole.

Although we acknowledge the difficulties inherent in creating a community of individuals who are different from each other, we remain unwavering in our commitment to both diversity and community in a context of academic excellence. We seek to enable all members of this community to pursue their educational, scholarly, and career interests in an environment that recognizes both the distinctiveness of each person's experience and the common humanity that unites us all, and permits us to take full educational advantage of the variety of talents, backgrounds, and perspectives of those who live and work here.

The loss of an outstanding teacher and talented mentor

Not only did the University lose a world-renowned physicist and cosmologist on September 5, 2002 when Professor David Wilkinson lost his fight with cancer, but it lost an outstanding teacher who made an unforgettable impact on my life during the fall of my freshman year in 1998.

Fifteen lucky and eager freshmen had the opportunity to be a part of Wilkinson's freshmen seminar that fall entitled "Searching for Life in the Galaxy." Having no idea about the important work that Wilkinson had done on "Big Bang" research or the numerous prestigious awards and honors he had earned, we were exposed to his genuine desire to share his wealth of knowledge and experience with college undergraduates. Making Wilkinson's commitment to the seminar even more amazing was that a requirement for enrollment in the seminar was to be interested in a non-science department major. Wilkinson devoted so much of his semester that fall to teaching basic physics and elementary universe exploration to liberal arts students with no future in the field. He simply was interested in transferring his knowledge of something that he was passionate about to incoming undergraduates.

Professor Wilkinson introduced me to the part of the Princeton undergraduate experience that I miss the most after graduating; the enthusiasm for teaching and accessibility of so many distinguished scholars. During the final week of classes Wilkinson invited all of us to his house for dinner with him and his wife. At that point I knew that I had better make the most of my next four years at Princeton because I was going to be handed opportunities that I would never again have access to – like the chance to interact with such an intelligent and dynamic individual on a personal basis. In my first semester at Princeton, Wilkinson helped me and 14 other freshmen to expand our horizons (literally) and he will be missed. Lindsay Michelotti '02