New student publication opens forum for racial issues

Are we being sucked into an abysmal chasm of ignorance? Is the integration of races, cultures, genders and ethnicities a mere charade perpetuated by the University? Is Princeton a truly diverse community or are we simply pretending?

The answer to these profound questions aren't going to be found in this article, but maybe they will be in a new publication surfacing on Princeton's campus. This periodical hopes not to provide concrete answers but instead open up an ongoing dialectic that may generate what is ultimately more important: understanding.

The publication that has taken on the formidable feat of bringing a higher level of diversity and understanding to Princeton is The Prism. This magazine was created last year by Ronnie Baldwin '05, Annora Bell '05 and Elizabeth Landau '06, and works in conjunction with the Black Student Union and the International Center.

The coeditors-in-chief wanted to establish a publication that served as an open forum where people from all walks of life could express themselves. As they explain in a group letter in the inaugural issue released last May, "We founded The Prism to embrace the differences that separate so many of us, in order to indicate that our differences make us great."

The celebration of differences was certainly the crux of the magazine's first issue. The Prism does not shy away from any controversial topics, but instead hopes to regularly feature art, creative writing, poetry and commentaries on subjects such as race, gender, religion, sexuality, nationality and ethnicity.

With articles entitled, "Looking Beyond Bias: Gender, Leadership and Academia" or "Crossing Boundaries: A Transnational Polylingual Academic's Experience" this magazine has already begun taking steps towards augmenting Princeton's expertise on diversity. Bobbie King '06, whose first article for "The Prism" was a reproof on views of self-segregation at Princeton, explains that this publication, "offers the liberal, multicultural and alternative opinions that are rarely offered on this campus. It is infinitely important to hear all positions on every matter, from all positions on the social and political spectrum."

Though many of the publication's writers were funneled through the Black Student Union, Theri' Pickens '05, said she decided to write for The Prism because she felt her writing style didn't mesh well with the other publications on campus. King similarly joined The Prism because he felt as if Princeton was devoid of a broadminded, multicultural magazine.

"I needed an outlet to express my opinions, counter to those found in the more conservative, traditional campus magazines," he said. "I felt bombarded by these conservative viewpoints and needed to offer a counterargument. The point for me has always been to participate in actual intellectual debate, not to proselytize others with my own."

Pickens agreed that The Prism is the ideal vehicle to allow her to more precisely express herself and "help people realize what diversity truly is." In her poem entitled "Black Girl: Part II," Pickens wrote, "Even I watch my back when we're walking cause I never know what trouble we might get in just because we profile in brown skin or are the someones who fit the description but it doesn't affect me, is what I hear you murmuring it does, because I might be a daughter, sister, cousin to one of those men."

Poetry is one of the most poignant forms of expression The Prism offers, but the publication's main goal is to have a profound and long-lasting impact on Princetonians' perspectives. Bell said she hopes the magazine will establish a "window for people to see things on campus they wouldn't be able to see because of their social scene, classes, or extracurricular activities." She explained that at Princeton it is so easy to become immersed in this life of academia that students often don't have time to see the world from a different perspective.

In the next edition of The Prism, due out some time after fall break, the staff will continue to pursue their mantra of proliferating diversity and understanding. Through the aide of their multicultural staff writers and artists, the publication will try to tackle difficult questions and provide a voice for every underrepresented group at Princeton. Right now the main ambition of The Prism is to strengthen its basis here on campus and become a widely and well-read magazine.

As for our supposed descent into a chasm of ignorance and the façade of Princetonian diversity, the editors of The Prism have one last word of advice: "If we welcome our differences and remember the similarities, we can take charge of our education and learn from the most valuable resources on campus: each other," they wrote in their first group letter.