Letters to the Editor: February 13th, 2012

In support of occupy info sessions

Regarding “Occupy elections, not info sessions” (Monday, Jan. 9, 2012):

While Aaron Applbaum, like others before him, is correct in saying that the Occupy Princeton info-session protests were never going to change the minds of the students already attending, he fails to understand the long-term impact such demonstrations can have on the culture of the University.

Any professor here will agree that it is a problem when Princeton students, the country’s best and brightest, are flocking to finance and consulting jobs in droves. The situation at Princeton has become such that students think it is the norm and, more so, expected of them to apply for these jobs. The culture is one in which obtaining positions at top firms acts as a way to measure your success as compared to one’s classmates. The fact that Goldman cancelled recruiting trips is more than an “inconvenience” to fellow classmates. It is exactly the way to catalyze change in the culture of Princeton. Would Princeton students be so eager to go into the financial world if we weren’t constantly bombarded by various listservs, including Career Services’, about the never-ending stream of finance and consulting info sessions? These protests potentially represent a turn away from the emphasis this institution puts on those careers and suggests that, contrary to popular belief, not everyone needs to try to go to Wall Street. As a Canadian I won’t comment on the perceived political apathy on campus as the American political soap opera unfolds, but I will say that Applbaum too easily dismisses the impact that one of the most significant political demonstrations I have seen on campus in four years can have on our alma mater.

Christopher Green ’12

ctgreen@princeton.edu

In memory of Warren Crane

Regarding “Warren Crane ’62, Cannon promoter, dies at age 70” (Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012):

The Class of 1962 is thankful for your recognition of the late Warren Crane. The stories we could tell about “Weed” are colorful. His efforts to save Cannon Club, first by merging it into Dial Lodge and later into Elm, lasted almost two decades. An observant classmate noted: “His efforts for bringing back Cannon were herculean. He out-maneuvered the University brilliantly in the most extraordinary game of Monopoly I’ve ever seen. His focused energy will be missed at Cannon and by us all.” Appearing in the July ’07 PAW after our 45th: “Late Saturday Warren Crane tried to scale the sleek tent as Cannon Clubbers braced to catch him. The fabric was too slippery for Weed, but one is not over the hill if he has not been to the top.” It is sadly ironic that Weed entered the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center just as the “new” Cannon had its open house.

Barry Bosak ’62

Dave O’Brien ’62