University welcomes scholars with a range of views
Regarding 'Khalidi candidacy for new chair draws fire' (Friday, April 22):
While I am Chair of the Board of the Center for Jewish Life (CJL), the views I present here are my own. The consideration of Rashid Khalidi for a faculty appointment at Princeton has raised concerns among some members of the University community regarding his political beliefs. My view is that these concerns are misplaced. The process for making academic appointments at Princeton is a very serious and thoughtful process that rigorously evaluates the scholarly contributions of candidates. There is no legitimate place in this process for a vetting of a candidate's political views unless these views inappropriately affect his or her teaching or scholarly work. It is through rigorous adherence to this process that Princeton has assembled one of the finest and most exciting faculties in the world.
The CJL, as an organization and as part of the University community, must respect the academic appointment process. We are certainly opposed to intolerance, be it of Jews or of other groups. As far as I know, there is no indication of intolerance on the part of Professor Khalidi evident in his scholarly work or in his teaching record. Neither is there any evidence of which I am aware in Professor Khalidi's long career that he has used his position inappropriately. There exists a wide range of political views on the Princeton faculty, and we celebrate these differences as we learn from them.
Henry Farber GS '77 Professor of Economics
Khalidi would add diversity to NES
Regarding 'Khalidi candidacy for new chair draws fire' (Friday, April 22):
It seems that the main worry about Khalidi as a potential faculty member is his strongly pro-Palestinian views. What should really be concerning us, apart from his academic credentials, is how far his ability to exercise his power in the classroom would be compromised by his political views.
While many of his colleagues at Columbia have recently been accused of intimidating students who disagree with them in classroom, Khalidi's implication in academic misconduct is questionable at best. The controversy began when several students made a documentary, "Columbia Unbecoming," funded by a pro-Israeli group called the David Project, criticizing the intimidating practices of certain Middle Eastern Studies professors when faced with opposition to their political views in the classroom. These students have since repudiated the way in which their specific criticism was coopted by political extremists on both sides, blurring the reality that they were trying to portray. As accusations of anti-Semitism were thrown around, professors who were not criticized in the documentary were summarily denounced as part of the brigade of pro-Palestinian professors suppressing academic freedom in favor of political advocacy. Rashid Khalidi is one such professor. While nobody is denying his extreme political views — after Said's death, he has become the most visible proponent of the one-state solution that would mean the end of Israel — his professionalism is another matter. A report following an investigation into the charges brought by the students did not mention Khalidi at all. More persuasively, the makers of the documentary have actually said that his respectful engaging manner in the classroom is a model for the professors they were criticizing. Given the lack of balance in our own Near Eastern Studies department, which still uses the lens of Orientalism and whose guiding lights are the conservative Professors Bernard Lewis and Michael Doran, a professor such as Khalidi, who has shown that he can temper his politics in the classroom, is worth at least considering as a new addition to our faculty.
Ananya Chakravarti '05
Cross-dressing is not a mental disorder
Regarding 'Drag contest sends the wrong messages' (Tuesday, April 26):
Regarding Mr. Sahner's editorial, I think that it is important to respond to some of the inaccuracies of his statements and provide some facts to clarify the situation. Mr. Sahner makes an incredibly broad statement suggesting that "cross-dressing is a psychiatric disorder" and attempts to bolster his argument by including references to the American Psychological Association's definition of Transvestite Fetishism (TF). The correct information on this comes from the American Psychiatric Association. The current book "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition" (DSM-IV) is the text used by both psychologists and psychiatrists assessing psychiatric disorders.
Contrary to what Mr. Sahner suggests, the APA and DSM-IV in fact does not define cross-dressing itself as any form of disorder. DMS-IV states that a diagnosis of TF "is used for heterosexual males who have sexually arousing fantasies, urges, or behaviors involving cross-dressing (wearing female clothing). To be considered diagnosable, the fantasies, urges, or behaviors must cause significant distress in the individual or be disruptive to his or her everyday functioning." One can fairly assume that the individuals who participated in the drag contest did not experience any form of distress and therefore should not be labeled or stereotyped as somehow suffering from a psychological disorder. I understand that such events on campus may cause people who disagree with the behavior some distress, however as a community we must be open-minded and respect the views of others and not label them as "sick" simply because we don't agree with their views.
Rick Curtis '79
University support of drag competition is not a problem
Regarding 'Drag contest sends the wrong messages' (Tuesday, April 26):
Christian Sahner's ignorant and disingenuous opinion piece about the drag competition of a few weeks ago reeks so strongly of 1950s retro-morality that I half-expected him to close his piece by urging us to vote Eisenhower in order to fight the Transvestite Menace.
Instead, we are treated to a lazily-googled scientific-sounding term which is supposed to scare us into believing that drag shows are threatening our "health and safety." Sahner never quite explains the threat, but perhaps it comes from inflaming our latent temptations to forgo physical activity in order to watch "Victor/Victoria" and "Cabaret" on a continuous loop.
More to the point, if Sahner had bothered to actually read the APA information he cites, he would see that the DSM-IV clearly says that "Transvestic Fetishism" "has been described only in heterosexual males." His attempt to play 'pin the blame on the LGBT student' is going to fall a little short here.
The Drag Show was a fun and entertaining event. Instead of recognizing this, Sahner attempts to pathologize it and use it as an opportunity to attack the visibility of LGBT students on campus. The Princeton community should reject this intolerance. The University's pledge to be free of bias does not mean that it remains neutral when students like Sahner denigrate others; it means that the University actively works to level the playing field so that everyone enjoys a comfortable atmosphere in which their lives are respected.
When Sahner's heterosexual life is as frequently maligned as that of LGBT students, then perhaps he can petition the administration to support his All-Ivy Straight Show. I think, however, he will continue to find plenty of heterosexuals performing all over campus without any need for official backing.
Ben McKean GS
Armenian genocide talk was one-sided
Regarding 'Ninety years later, a debate stirred' (Tuesday, April 26):
Monday's Humanity Project address on the alleged Armenian genocide was dangerously biased. Of the three speakers invited, all three presented a misleading and selective account of the events of that time. The keynote speaker, Professor Balakian from Colgate, even insisted that his extraordinarily slanted anti-Turkish version of events was the only true one and that there are no other sides to the story. This is not true. Let me give you the other side of this story. Let me tell you about my grandmother's family.
My grandmother was named after her sister whom she never saw. Her sister was slaughtered with the rest of the Turks in their village, Hacin, while the Turkish men of the village were on the WWI front. The population of Hacin consisted of Turks and Armenians who lived together for centuries. My grandmother's family was especially close to their Armenian neighbors. No Muslim villager who resided in Hacin at the time of the massacre survived. My great uncle, who refused to fight for the Sultan and hid in the mountains, returned to his village after the end of the war. Their Armenian neighbors showed him the bodies of his mother, and the rest of Hacin's Turkish population. They were dumped in a cave near the village. My great uncle asked his neighbors who did this and they replied "The youth, the Armenian youth. We could not control them. We only prevented them from torturing your old mother."
I ask the Humanity Project: don't the hundreds of thousands of Muslim women, children and seniors trapped in mosques and burned by Armenians between 1914- 15 tell you there is another side to this story? Why did the Humanity Project not invite a single person who would mention the atrocities perpetrated by the Armenians on the Ottoman Muslims at this same time? The organizers of this event passed up an opportunity to promote serious dialogue and debate in exchange for promoting slanted and misleading rhetoric. They should be ashamed.
Yesim Koman '05
Read More
Can a bacchanal Reunions be a sustainability lab?
Darren MilmanThe path to a net-zero Reunions remains uncertain. But Earth Brands’ story proves that the same university known for beer jackets and century-old traditions can also launch the next wave of sustainable solutions.
The path to a net-zero Reunions remains uncertain. But Earth Brands’ story proves that the same university known for beer jackets and century-old traditions can also launch the next wave of sustainable solutions.
$56,000 in debt at graduation is not the financial aid Princeton advertises
Avi CheslerTake my story as an example — despite repeated evidence, both before and after taking out loans, that I would be unable to pay what Princeton asked of me — the University never set a cost that I could truly meet loan-free.
In the Garden State’s service and the service of humanity
Olivia Ragan, Lauren Aung, and Madison LintonIt is important to cultivate in students interest in local and state level change, because it is the most direct way to give back to the New Jersey community that sustains the University.