Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis opened the discussion with a piercing question.
"Who do they say you are — those who encounter you in brochures and superficial meetings of the mind, those who read about you, hear about you? Who do they say you are?"
Dozens of students gathered last night for a Whig-Clio panel discussion entitled "Who is Princeton? Confronting the Stereotype," featuring SHARE coordinator Bryant-Davis, English professor John Fleming GS '63, associate admissions dean Keith Light and two students.
The panel sought to explore the myriad ways in which stereotypes affect the University, ranging from who chooses to matriculate here to whether students are forced into a certain mold once they arrive on campus, said co-organizers Jacqueline de Armas '05 and Tisamarie Sherry '05.
"There are several issues in regard to stereotypes that need to be addressed, whether or not we feel they are inadequate or irrelevant," Sherry said in an interview yesterday. "Whether or not we like it, Princeton's image will reflect on us."
The five panelists approached the daunting task of speaking about stereotypes in distinct ways.
After listing popular conceptions of University students — "white, male and rich . . . conservative, elitist and non-activist" — Bryant-Davis offered her thoughts on what she hopes they will strive to be.
"When people say, 'What is the Princeton student like?' I want us to crash into the stereotype of only white, only rich," she said. "I want the answer to be, 'They have a love for life, a hunger for justice, a compassion for humanity and a commitment to the betterment of mind, body and spirit.'"
Aaron Bianco '05 followed Bryant-Davis's remarks by pointing out that though his own background is different from that of most students, the entire undergraduate community shares many similarities.
"My grandmother used to say that in a thousand years, we're just going to be a shade of gray," he said.
Bianco, the former president of the Chicano Caucus, emphasized the importance of keeping an open mind and seeing beyond first impressions. "The only way to break a stereotype down is to get to know someone," he said.
Fleming said he wanted to add a "word in defense of stereotypes," pointing out that "it's impossible for everyone at Princeton to be so absolutely individualistic and unlike everyone else that there will not be commonalities that bring us together."
Even the word 'elitism,' which comes from a French verb meaning "to select with care," cannot be rejected out of hand, Fleming argued.
"Do you have any idea of the orgy of elitism that this University is engaged in 24 hours a day?" he asked, citing the rigorous selection process for both students and faculty.
Stereotypes are not all negative, Fleming noted. University students are generally thought of as intellectually serious and eager to serve their community.
Antoinette Seaberry '05 encouraged students to help each other destroy the stereotypes about the University that people encounter even before arriving on campus.
"There are many different people who have the opportunity to voice their opinions," she said. "I don't want hide behind pretty words like 'diversity.' Tell me what you really think."
Light, who has also worked in admissions offices at Harvard and Stanford Universities, noted that each institution comes with its own set of stereotypes, but they are never representative of the majority of students.
The important thing is to avoid complacency about these preconceptions, he said.
All of the panelists agreed that dialogue is the key to keep the University moving in the right direction.
"I am amazed by the number of students who came out to hear this," Fleming said. "And dammit, it destroys my stereotype of this University."
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