A model for campus intellectualism

Many complaints have been voiced in the past few years about the nonintellectual climate on the Princeton campus. In a letter dated Sept. 30, 2002, the U-Council contend wrpte that "there is virtually no relaxed, unstructured intellectual life on campus. Unscheduled time is to be spent outside the realm of intellectual life."

Perhaps Princeton University is changing. On Friday, April 9, undergraduates organized and attended "Keeping the Dragon Aloft: Can a rising China overcome internal and external challenges in the 21st century?" a conference truly the first of its kind.

This conference showcased undergraduate intellectualism at its best. The idea for the conference was conceived and executed by PIIRS undergraduate fellows Dave Williard '05, 'Prince' editorial board member Kyle Jaros '05 and Miriam Schive '06 and the president of the Global Issues Forum, Kyle Meng '05. The goal of the event was to be a forum for discussion of a pressing intellectual issue — the role of China in the world — in a context that would encourage undergraduate participation.

As the U-Council letter noted, it is rare to see undergraduates present at academic lectures. Unlike most intellectual events on campus, which are mainly attended by professors and community members, this conference succeeded in registering about 80 undergraduates to join conference activities. Schive described the lectures as having more undergraduates in the audience than any other academic lecture she had ever attended at Princeton.

The conference consisted of two lectures open to the public, one by China's Ambassador to the United Nations, Wang Guangya, and the other a panel of Princeton University professors. It also included a free catered Chinese dinner and a movie.

The highlights of the conference were two back-to-back sessions in which students in small discussion groups, led by a professor or graduate student, discussed a specific topic related to China. The conference therefore also provided an important opportunity for students to express their opinions and engage in intellectual conversation outside the usual context of class, precept or other structured activities. Students chose the topic that interested them most for each session and had the opportunity to discuss that topic with other interested students and professors knowledgeable about the topic. The discussions were exciting and lively, probably more so than many precept discussions.

Eighty undergrads chose to use their free time on Friday to participate in this conference. Such success can be attributed to the combination of undergraduate initiative and departmental assistance. The student organizers came up with topics they were excited about, such as the human rights situation in China and China-Taiwan relations, and thought of a program in which other students like themselves would enjoy participating. Students planned this event with fellow undergraduates in mind as the target audience, making this event uniquely tailored to fit the needs of undergraduates. For example, the conference took place on Friday, when many undergraduates have free time and few classes.

It is not surprising that PIIRS undergraduate fellows initiated this conference. PIIRS encourages its fellows to plan intellectual activities in which they are interested in participating — from dinners with favorite professors to conferences like these — and is willing to provide necessary assistance for such plans to be executed. PIIRS provided ample assistance to this conference's student planners by funding snacks and dinner, organizing logistics and inviting a well-known speaker.

This conference should serve as a model of the kind of intellectual activity that can be fostered and repeated. If the University is serious about encouraging undergraduate intellectualism, it should try and emulate the success of this conference.

Other departments should think about initiating programs like the PIIRS undergraduate fellows program. This conference proves that undergrads understand what it takes to make events appealing for their friends. Departments should allot funding specifically for activities initiated by undergrads and aimed at undergraduate participation.

Most importantly, undergraduates frustrated by the intellectual climate on campus should not be complacent or make due by complaining about the situation. The conference shows that undergraduate students will gladly come to events about topics that excite them and are tailors to suit their needs. Events like this conference can and should become common at Princeton University, and those students complaining about the intellectual climate on campus should be the first to initiate new projects like this one.

Karen Karniol-Tambour is a sophomore from Netanya, Israel. You can reach her at karenkt@princeton.edu.