The first few days of a campus paper's fall operation can be a frantic time for reader and writer alike. You're busy moving in, picking classes and reuniting with dozens of friends and acquaintances. We — the 'Prince' staff — are frantically trying to get our computers and phones working as we settle into the trailers from which we will publish this semester while our usual offices are renovated.
It seems fitting, then, that we use a few paragraphs to remind you of what we can add to your busy campus life. The New York Times covers the world, and the Princeton "bubble" insulates you from most of it. The University's homepage does a great job of telling you about all about Princeton's triumphs. What do we, a daily student newspaper, add to the mix?
We're focused on the things you care about. Student life, Princeton sports, the campus arts scene and the job market, to name a few. We aren't writing for a national audience, tourists or alumni. The stories you read here are written by your peers, and they reflect your concerns as no other venue can.
We're completely independent. Princeton's PR office is full of smart people who work hard to paint an idyllic picture of this campus, giving events a positive spin for the outside world. Princeton really is a great place, but no institution is perfect. You need someone to ask the tough questions about new athletics rules, alcohol policies and the huge influx of buildings and students planned for the next few years. We ask those questions and bring you the answers. Aggressive, evenhanded coverage of campus issues helps keep the administration, the faculty and a wide range of student groups honest with themselves and responsive to each other.
Finally, we give you a voice. This page is the central campus forum for students to exchange ideas, suggest changes and make arguments, as well as to reflect on daily life and entertain each other. We work hard to bring as many student perspectives as possible on to the page each week.
We know there's room for improvement, and we're constantly working to get better. If you have suggestions for us, write a letter or contact an editor. We hope you find us good reading.
Daily Princetonian editorials are written by the Editorial & Opinion Editors, Managing Editors and Editor-In-Chief.
Read More
Keep academic authority in human hands
Lily Halbert-AlexanderThe Trump administration’s attacks on research and higher education as well as a blind reliance on AI chatbots are reflective of a societal backslide: a commodification of knowledge that prioritizes “efficiency” over the messy process of getting to an answer, where nuances are flattened and the truth is fungible.
The Trump administration’s attacks on research and higher education as well as a blind reliance on AI chatbots are reflective of a societal backslide: a commodification of knowledge that prioritizes “efficiency” over the messy process of getting to an answer, where nuances are flattened and the truth is fungible.
What do we owe society for a Princeton education?
Jia Cheng ShenThe social and moral responsibility that comes with receiving a degree subsidized by both private generosity and public trust is significant.
The social and moral responsibility that comes with receiving a degree subsidized by both private generosity and public trust is significant.
Notes from a so-called enemy’s classroom
Jennifer JenningsIt wasn’t revolutionary. It was homework. But it was homework that asked: how do we build schools that work for all kids? Inclusion, after all, is the “I” in DEI. That’s what we’re thinking about together. And caring about each other’s experiences and opportunities, it turns out, isn’t something you can outlaw.
It wasn’t revolutionary. It was homework. But it was homework that asked: how do we build schools that work for all kids? Inclusion, after all, is the “I” in DEI. That’s what we’re thinking about together. And caring about each other’s experiences and opportunities, it turns out, isn’t something you can outlaw.