Over the coming months, senior members of the Editorial Board will step down to make way for new members with fresh and diverse perspectives, but the Board will remain as ever a devoted and unyielding advocate for the Princeton student body and the University community as a whole. At this time of transition, it is fitting to reflect on what we have discussed over the past year.
Perhaps most significant was our call last March for the University to provide financial aid to facilitate eating club membership for those who could not afford it. We supported student leaders in their drive to foster economic diversity throughout Princeton's many social and dining options, and the University responded with a plan to ensure that no student will again be excluded from Prospect Avenue. for financial reasons.
With this monumental step toward equality in the Princeton experience, however, comes the responsibility to accurately evaluate the way in which such changes affect the social milieu on campus. We have repeatedly called for a thorough, quantitative study of the socioeconomic and racial characteristics of the populations that constitute the various upperclass dining options. We cannot simply rely on general perceptions of the social condition of our campus, and we maintain that failing to conduct a rigorous study will now hinder future understanding of how policies being implemented today ameliorate or exacerbate stratification at Princeton.
We have also offered suggestions for improvements to other campus policies that have yet to be acted upon. Though small in scope when compared to financial aid for eating club memberships, it is of the utmost importance that the University expand introductory courses in the arts to meet demand. We have argued that it is unacceptable to preclude a student from acquiring the new skills taught in beginner-level courses by forcing students to complete a competitive application process before they may enroll in a class that has no prerequisites. As development continues in Princeton's fine arts departments, universal access to introductory courses should be a top priority.
Though spring move out is a semester away, this year's exodus from campus promises to be as hectic as ever, especially for those students who have a test on the final day of exam period. We have argued that these students, who are only allowed a few hours to vacate their rooms after finishing their examinations, should be permitted to occupy their rooms for an extra day. The University must continue to improve the ease with which students depart at the end of the year as part of its efforts to ensure that the entire Princeton experience is a positive one.
These are just a few of the many important campus issues we have had the privilege of commenting upon over the last 12 months. We look forward to revisiting these and other topics as the need arises and look forward to examining many others in the coming year.
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