The following is a guest contribution and reflects the author’s views alone. For information on how to submit a letter to the editor to the Opinion Section, click here.
To the Editor:
I was a proud member of The Daily Princetonian from 2002 to 2006, and I'm happy to see the ‘Prince’ continue its great reporting. I do have one concern, which maybe I share with other alumni. Specifically, while Princetonians are taught to be critical and should have opinions about many topics, the Opinion pieces of the ‘Prince’ can be quite negative in tone and can seem to have just one focus: complaints about the University. I understand the University, which we are all very lucky to have attended, can be better and strives to be better, but the tone of many pieces, at least judging by the headlines, can be so negative.
Beyond the tone, I just wonder if students could write about issues beyond complaints against the University, such as pressing public policy issues (climate change, women's rights, etc.), international affairs, the arts, and other topics that truly reflect students’ interests and intellect. I, myself, arrived on campus as the gay, Guatemalan-American son of an immigrant single mom who didn’t go to college and who worked multiple manual labor jobs to make ends meet, so I am sensitive to the variety of social and other issues that even elite universities must continue to address. But I also recognize that Princeton breeds in its students curious minds — minds that are curious about issues beyond grievances against the University.
Thank you for your consideration,
Jorge Aguilar ’06
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Progressives failed a lesson in free speech
Anais Mobarak“The recent controversy surrounding Charter Club has demonstrated that progressive voices on campus have failed to recognize the value of free speech beyond its usefulness as a political instrument. Thus, as a community, we must work to foster an ideologically-free understanding of free speech.”
“The recent controversy surrounding Charter Club has demonstrated that progressive voices on campus have failed to recognize the value of free speech beyond its usefulness as a political instrument. Thus, as a community, we must work to foster an ideologically-free understanding of free speech.”
Campus through a lens: Announcing the ‘Prince’s inaugural columnists
Eleanor Clemans-CopeReading a series of columns by the same author is seeing things through the writer’s lens — it’s looking at campus through the ‘Christofer glasses’ or the ‘Eleanor specs.’ This is the thinking behind having named columns.
Reading a series of columns by the same author is seeing things through the writer’s lens — it’s looking at campus through the ‘Christofer glasses’ or the ‘Eleanor specs.’ This is the thinking behind having named columns.
Bring back the course packet
Abigail Rabieh“With the recent news that Labyrinth Books will no longer supply the coursebooks for Princeton classes, we are facing a new era in which all readings will only be accessible by some digital medium, whether that be via Course Reserves or online ordering from faraway publishers. While some may see this as a step in the right direction of modernity, the increasing digitalization of our scholarship hurts our learning.”
“With the recent news that Labyrinth Books will no longer supply the coursebooks for Princeton classes, we are facing a new era in which all readings will only be accessible by some digital medium, whether that be via Course Reserves or online ordering from faraway publishers. While some may see this as a step in the right direction of modernity, the increasing digitalization of our scholarship hurts our learning.”
