Not another code
If the proposed "social honor code" is anything like the academic honor code, it is an extremely bad idea.
The honor code is not just a statement of support for academic integrity. It is a set of rules that you must follow in your academic work and obligates you to report others that are violating the honor code. These stringent rules are justified because they prevent academic fraud and affect only a limited part of our lives.
A social honor code, on the other hand, would know no limits. A code regulating harassment and disrespect for diversity necessarily covers all forms of communication. In other words, we would have to always watch what we say. More importantly, since there would be an obligation to report violators of the social code, we would have to watch what our friends say even during the most intimate conversations. By contrast, the academic code does not prevent you from cheating on your girlfriend. The USG might come up with a very narrow definition of harassment, but we cannot expect everyone to be intimately familiar with such rules; the fear of being reported would be enough to put strains on friendships. Furthermore, a social code would deter friendship between students of different race out of fear that something one says would be "offensive."
A social honor code would be unduly invasive, detrimental to healthy relationships, and deter interracial friendships. Perhaps USG will propose something that is non-mandatory and noninvasive? Then it would be pointless. So take your pick: a document that is insidious or irrelevant. As for me, I choose the status quo. Frank Lee '04
Living with freedom
Regarding the social honor code and zero-tolerance:
Have you all gone completely insane? Are we still in America? I would far rather have a neighbor who is prejudiced against me, for whatever reason, than live in a place where people who violate the strictures of orthodoxy are systematically eliminated from our environment following a closed and opaque "disciplinary" process akin to our Honor Committee. If this is the way Princeton is heading, I'm glad that I'm a senior, and I won't be here next year. Ray Yang '04
'Old Chinese'
I agreed with Mr. Tom Brown's assesment of Ivy Garden in his restaurant review "Ivy Garden vs. Old English" (Oct. 2), but was somewhat dismayed by the short shrift he gave Old English. He's right, the name is entirely a misnomer, but a restaurant reviewer would be doing himself and his readers a disservice if he did not sample the restaurant's specialities or even make an effort to find out what they were. If Mr. Brown was looking for the regular fried rice and sweet and sour chicken, he should have gone to Tiger Noodles, an excellent American-Chinese restaurant. The Old English (or Old Chinese, if you will) dishes its loyal customers love are precisely those you won't find at any other Chinese resturant in Princeton, and I'd be more than happy to recommend Mr. Brown a couple. Xiuhui Lim '05
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The CPUC must not gut its Judicial Committee
Bill HewittEnding the Judicial Committee’s jurisdiction over initial complaints would embolden abuses of power, allowing the administration to evade accountability for University rule violations without the pressure of student and faculty authority.
Ending the Judicial Committee’s jurisdiction over initial complaints would embolden abuses of power, allowing the administration to evade accountability for University rule violations without the pressure of student and faculty authority.
Princeton, let’s adopt a digital prox
Jorge ReyesTo prevent pointless replacement and lockout charges, maximize convenience, and create better access to meals and facilities, Princeton should follow the precedent set by some of its peers and adopt a digital prox system.
To prevent pointless replacement and lockout charges, maximize convenience, and create better access to meals and facilities, Princeton should follow the precedent set by some of its peers and adopt a digital prox system.
What is a Princeton degree really for?
Joel IbabaoSo what, in the end, is a Princeton degree really for? I take a more moderate view: Students should prioritize earning potential — unless they feel irresistibly called to something else.
So what, in the end, is a Princeton degree really for? I take a more moderate view: Students should prioritize earning potential — unless they feel irresistibly called to something else.