Is this the best we can do as a University?
Regarding 'Discipline is an issue for voters' (Monday, Dec. 4, 2006):
Every now and then, I find myself in a conversation with friends where we marvel at the mediocrities who run for (and win) high offices in the U.S. government. Frequently, someone asks a variant of the "Is this really the best we can do as a country?" question.
Today, I look to my alma mater and note that the current race for USG president is between a squirrel igniter — or just the guy who watched someone else do it — and a fellow who apparently can't be trusted to live in University housing. Of course, both candidates agree that such, err, indiscretions should surely play no role in who is chosen to lead the student body. I am forced to ask the same question of Princeton undergraduates as I sometimes do of the U.S. population at large: Is this really the best we can do as a University?
If today's undergraduates can't do better than to choose between one of these two miscreants, it suggests to me that those deflated lower GPAs that I keep reading about seem to be, on average, quite well earned.
Howard Deutsch '02
Medical treatment v. evidence collection
Regarding 'Let's talk about sex: Stats, Safety, STIs' (Thursday, Nov. 30, 2006):
I appreciate The Daily Princetonian's efforts to raise awareness of options available to sexual assault survivors. An important distinction should be made between medical treatment following a sexual assault and evidence collection.
Our first concern at University Health Services (UHS) is that survivors of sexual assault receive timely medical and psychological treatment for any physical injuries or medical problems. Additionally, UHS can provide immediate and continuing support to address the psychological aftermath of surviving sexual assault.
Following sexual assault, students determine their own care program from the following options: receiving medical treatment, counseling, pursuing on-campus adjudication, having physical evidence collected, filing a criminal complaint with the police department, mediating the issue through the Ombuds office and/or filing an anonymous report through Public Safety or the Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources and Education (SHARE) website. Also, survivors can choose to receive medical treatment at UHS or at any hospital for any injuries sustained during the assault and to receive emergency contraception and prophylactic STI treatment.
Survivors of sexual assault have the choice of having evidence collected. Evidence collection is distinct from receiving medical treatment, though in the course of having evidence collected they will receive medical treatment as well. Survivors do not have to consent to having evidence collected to receive medical treatment unless they would like to retain the option of filing a criminal complaint. Even without having evidence collected, a survivor can file a criminal complaint.
There are compelling reasons why UHS has decided not to perform evidence collection, the most important being that proper evidence collection — producing information admissible to a court of law — is a highly specialized skill that needs to be maintained through frequent practice. Unfortunately, we know that fewer than 5 percent of college women nationwide report being raped to the police. Thus, it would be unlikely that UHS staff would use rape kits enough to maintain the proper standard, and so it is best to leave this practice to other professionals.
Fortunately, we have many wonderful services at UHS to help students deal with these difficult but important issues. We encourage students to utilize the many resources on campus including the SHARE office, Counseling and Psychological Services and Heath Services at UHS.
Dr. Suraiya Baluch Director, SHARE
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The income that students earn from employment is not “miscellaneous.” So Princeton must decide: Does it want its students — all of them, not only those who can afford it — to be able to work on the important research happening at Princeton, or be forced to go home?