Regarding “Survey: 56 percent oppose arming Public Safety” (Friday, Jan. 8, 2010):
It is sad that the USG has chosen to replace debate and research with a student-run survey of only 15 percent of the student population when making a formal recommendation on a topic that has the potential to save lives. Had the survey shown that students supported properly equipping the University’s police officers with firearms, would they have been so quick to issue a formal recommendation supporting that result? I would bet not.
I wonder what the results of a poll would have been if the question asked whether students knew that Princeton employed fully-qualified, state-certified police officers in the Department of Public Safety. Princetonians for a Safer Campus encourages the USG to hold open forums addressing such an important issue prior to issuing a formal recommendation on behalf of the student body.
Brown University appropriately addressed this issue in 2005. After much debate among the student body and a formal report from an independent consulting firm, the administration decided that it would be irresponsible and unsafe to not arm their police officers.
For those who believe the Princeton Borough police officers are the best solution to an armed person on campus, think about this: When was the last time a Princeton Borough police officer patrolled the C-floor of Firestone or walked the underground tunnel from Schultz Lab to Lewis Thomas Lab? The police officers we should count on for protecting our intricate hallways and buildings during an emergency are those who know them best — the police officers of the Department of Public Safety.
Michael Westrol ’07
Princetonians for a Safer Campus
Lessons from a trip to Ghana
“Madam, we want to learn Chinese. Teach us Kung Fu, Jackie Chan style!” On the first day of a global seminar in Ghana, my students bombarded me with questions about China. I felt urged to teach them some Chinese, like “ni hen piao liang” (you are pretty).
I never thought being Chinese would give me an edge in Ghana. When I signed up for the global seminar, I planned to study sustainable design and embrace a new continent. I never imagined I’d be affected so deeply by my experiences there.
Walking the street in Accra, I felt like a celebrity. Locals always greeted me with “Chinese? Ni hao!” I taught my students Chinese words and songs and tasked them with teaching what they learned to their relatives. My class got so popular that kids from other grades demanded to see me.
I’m not sure that what I taught will really help them in the future, but I am sure that what these children taught me triggered some deep thoughts. The lesson was simple yet powerful: One should not take things for granted.
At first, I did not have the habit of putting the cap back on the marker after writing on the whiteboard. When he could stand it no more, Guan Jia Mu came to the front of the classroom and took the marker from me. “Laoshi [teacher],” he said gently, “please put the cap back on so that the marker can last longer.”
My face started to burn and my feeling of celebrity vanished. I am an advocate of sustainability and saving resources. It was shameful for me to be so careless and contradictory to my belief. Growing up, I took many things for granted: smooth roads, bright classrooms and hot showers. For my students, electricity and clean water are something to wish for.
I immediately thought about my life at Princeton. I remembered how my heart hurts when I see so many plates of half-eaten food thrown away and remembered how many times I took long showers with no reason. I felt too selfish. I could no longer stand in front of my Ghanaian students without changing my behavior. I can’t afford to take the privileges that Princeton offers for granted.
I stopped complaining about the variety in the dining halls and no longer question why the gallery in Frist Campus Center can’t open for longer hours. Instead, I start to appreciate what I have around me — my fun roommates, nice facilities, good food and stimulating conversations. Now, when I drink purified water, I remember my Ghanaian students who carried water home by the bucketful. When I step into the shower, I think of those for whom daily life is a struggle and step out much sooner than I used to.
I hope this story makes you think and act.
Chenyu Zheng '12
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