We at University Health Services agree with Katherine Reilly ('We need a new Bryant-Davis,' Jan. 5) that the departure of Thema Bryant-Davis from SHARE has left a void this semester, particularly in the area of educational outreach around issues of sexual harassment. While we appreciate Reilly's advocacy for SHARE and share her dedication to enhancing it, we would like to clarify some issues to allay possible concerns her column might inadvertently raise for your readers.
The overwhelming majority of cases seen in SHARE are related to sexual harassment and not violent sexual assault. While we are keenly aware that incidence of acquaintance or "date rape" is significantly under reported nationally and at Princeton, it would not be safe to assume that numerous survivors of violent sexual attack are going unrecognized, unresponded to or untreated at Princeton.
In this regard it may also be useful to address the matter of the statistics related to sexual offenses on campus at Princeton. UHS and SHARE have been proactive in providing aggregated data (i.e., no specific clients are ever identified) to Public Safety. The standard practice of sexual assault crisis programs on university campuses is to not report such information. The reason Princeton reported the second highest number of sexual offenses in the Ivy League is that we voluntarily provide that information to Public Safety. Had UHS followed the common practice of other campus based programs, Princeton's reported number of cases would have been zero, which is in fact what most other schools report.
The effect on students receiving clinical care also needs clarification. It is important to point out that all of Bryant-Davis's clinical work was always conducted in the Counseling and Psychological Services unit and that she "shared" the treatment and emergency coverage responsibilities for SHARE clients (24 hours a day, seven days a week during the academic year) with all of her colleagues in the counseling service.
In fact, several current CPS staff members have served as confidential counselors for the SHARE Program for many years. All of the CPS staff have extensive experience working with students who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress and other after effects of sexual harassment or assault. This semester, no student in serious emotional crisis related to any precipitating cause has failed to receive a rapid and appropriate clinical response through the CPS Crisis Program or after hours On-Call Coverage Program. We want to reassure students that they have access to a fully staffed CPS unit prepared to respond to their clinical needs.
Finally, we welcome the efforts of Reilly to call appropriate attention to the importance of SHARE on campus, and we at UHS have been dedicated to advocating for its growth. We are delighted that the University administration recently decided to offer additional support to extend the operation of the program to 12 full months as a direct result of our advocacy. We are doing everything in our power to find a suitable replacement for Bryant-Davis and look forward to working closely with students like Reilly to choose a stellar clinician-educator to fill that role.
Daniel Silverman
Chief Medical Officer
I was pleased to read the article on transgender students at Princeton ('Lost in a world of man and woman,' Dec. 1), an issue that needs more attention, but I want to clarify two points. Transgender activism on campus was not sparked by just me, but by many other students from the Pride Alliance and Queer Radicals. I began advocating for gender neutral or single-stall bathrooms before my graduation in 2003, but other students carried on the effort and have done all the hard work.
Also, while identified as genderqueer in the article, I personally identify as a masculine female. This is not to say that I never experienced discrimination or discomfort while at Princeton-individuals who do not conform to society's strict gender "norms" are often subject to the same discrimination that transgender people face. Gender-neutral or single-stall bathrooms, trans-friendly housing and measures prohibiting discrimination based on gender or gender expression at Princeton would protect not just transgender students, but anyone who is gender variant in some way.
Read More
Charlie Kirk is not the martyr conservatives want him to be
Christofer RoblesIn his piece, Editorial Board Chair Christofer Robles ’26 argues that as members of the campus right misrepresent the status of free speech on campus and Charlie Kirk’s legacy, they legitimize the federal government’s punishment of left-wing students for their political expression.
In his piece, Editorial Board Chair Christofer Robles ’26 argues that as members of the campus right misrepresent the status of free speech on campus and Charlie Kirk’s legacy, they legitimize the federal government’s punishment of left-wing students for their political expression.
BP is out. Here’s what’s next for the climate movement at Princeton
Charlie Yale and Isaac BarsoumFossil fuel companies have abandoned their deceptive climate pledges, and the Trump administration is cracking down on climate research. As governments and corporations abandon climate action, Princeton must step up as a leader on the issue.
Fossil fuel companies have abandoned their deceptive climate pledges, and the Trump administration is cracking down on climate research. As governments and corporations abandon climate action, Princeton must step up as a leader on the issue.
Public service still serves the public
Guest ContributorsIt is sometimes difficult to see the value of service in times of instability, disinvestment in public services, eroding public trust in government, and an uncertain job market. But even in times of massive turmoil, public service is still able to drive initiatives that aren’t sufficiently politicized to make newspaper headlines.
As academia and the federal workforce have adapted to rapid policy changes, the SINSI program and the students it supports have had to adapt. We are the first generation of SINSI Scholars, the SINSI program’s graduate fellows, to contend with this new era of uncertainty.