For many students, the saying "Princeton in the nation's service" has become a bit of a catch phrase. From official speeches freshman year to the graduation pledge we sign four years later, the University's unofficial motto is trotted out ad nauseam throughout our time at Princeton. We hear it so often we begin to assume that we are, as a matter of course, already in the nation's service. We get so caught up in our everyday struggles and activities that we forget to ask what exactly it means to serve.
In the next few weeks, the news section of this paper will publish a number of stories exploring the changing nature of service at the University. At a time like this, with so many tragedies occurring around the world and with so many people in need just in our own country, it is important for us to understand how Princetonians see themselves fitting into this picture — as students, as citizens and as future leaders.
But simply understanding current trends and attitudes toward service within the University is not sufficient. We also need to ask ourselves: What do we, as students who have so much, owe to the rest of the country, or even just to our neighbors? What should being in the nation's service really mean for individual students? Does the University have certain responsibilities to the outside community that go beyond simply educating its students?
In the next few weeks, we will run an occasional series of editorials that will deal with these questions. We know these are complicated questions, and, as a board, we cannot hope to come up with answers that will represent a majority of the student body. We can, however, promote discussion on these issues. If what we write makes you nod your head in agreement, that's great; if it makes you want to write an angry letter to the editor, that's even better. Either way, it is only through discussion with our friends and peers that we as a campus can actually begin to breathe new life into the phrase "Princeton in the nation's service."
We look forward to the discussion.
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