Keep the grade deflation debate going
Regarding 'Lenahan questions basis for grade deflation' (Friday, Oct. 6, 2006):
I read USG president Alex Lenahan '07's assertion that grade inflation paralleled the rise in candidates judged academic 1's and 2's. I'm awed by that weight. I respect distinguished, gracious Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel but believe Lenahan stands on fact. If class size hasn't risen as much as the applicant group, wouldn't we accept more students who expect (deserve) higher grades? Alden Dunham's 1-5 scale (c.1963), a convention refined over 40 years, does not assume that the difference between a 1 and a 3 will be small. Countless staff, faculty, students and alumni have read and agreed on differences. Scores and grades don't provide the best evidence, which comes in written observations of counselors and teachers. Maybe we're ready for a new motto: "Princeton in the Service of Providing Graduates with Honors." And those who focus on less scholarly endeavors, arrive, expect and earn honors for excellence in praiseworthy action. Do stay with this significant stuff; it's a great debate to keep going — much more elevated than what a PU '55er declared about the Real World where, "stuff happens."
John Osander '57 Former Director of Admissions, 1965-71
Effects of grade deflation yet to be seen
Regarding 'USG right to pressure Nassau Hall' (Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2006):
I am weary of the results of the recent survey reported by Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel that grade deflation has not had a deleterious effect on the post-graduation endeavors of the student body for two reasons. First, the students surveyed only experienced one year of grade deflation. Second, almost all of the classes taken by these students as seniors would be in upper-level courses that are not subject to as stringently held standards as intro level courses. Thus, the negative effects of grade deflation remain to be seen.
Matthew Hunter '07
U-Store is a monopoly, not a membership
Regarding 'A century old, still member owned' (Friday, Oct. 6, 2006):
How can one say that the "members" own the U-Store when they have no say whatsoever in the way the store is controlled? Nor do us "members" receive any benefit from the profits of the store.
Apparently we have "representatives" on the board of trustees, but in four years, I have never even heard of "elections" for these "representatives." However, that is not surprising given that the U-Store requires only 10 signatures to nominate a candidate (which should indicate that it is clearly an insignificant "election," if said "election" really exists). While it is certainly nice that us member-owners receive "discounts" on our purchases, if we were allowed to utilize those powers which ownership of a firm logically entails, I bet most of us would trade the discount for the simple ability to buy products without the ridiculous monopoly pricing scheme that the U-Store utilizes.
Colin Anderson '07
Princeton's crime rate will obviously be low
Regarding 'Crime rate drops, well below peers' ' (Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2006):
Shocking! I was stunned to read that Princeton has less crime than New Haven, Conn. What if instead of comparing upper-class suburbia to a poor city, we compared Princeton to another suburban school like UVa? Also, Princeton is smaller than Harvard and Yale — hence fewer reported crimes.
Alexander D'Amato '09
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