Copy
View this email in your browser
Friday, February 10, 2023
Newsletter by Michelle Miao and Sidney Singer

More discussion on academic rigor at Princeton

Candace Do / The Daily Princetonian

Good morning! 

Today, Guest Contributor Ethan Hicks ’26 argues that “academic challenges — and the discomforts that arise from those challenges — are part of the Princeton experience.” He calls for Princeton to preserve its rigor despite facing criticisms, stating that this standard of excellence “shapes students into the thoughtful, resilient, and intelligent leaders that Princeton is known for producing.”

Hicks is entering a debate that has been ongoing since President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 sat down in October for an interview with The Daily Princetonian. At the time, Eisgruber acknowledged the mental health crisis affecting students nationally and within the Princeton community, but maintained that academic rigor is fully consistent with mental health. “I don’t see any evidence that academic laxness or academic mediocrity would somehow be better from the standpoint of mental health,” he said. 

Eisgruber’s remarks came in the aftermath of multiple student deaths and further instigated debate over the extent to which Princeton prioritizes student well-being. Eisgruber's remarks sparked controversy on campus. During the 2022 Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Election, presidential candidate Isabella Shutt ’24 and other candidates running under the slogan “Further Together” distributed stickers printed with the words "Academically Mediocre" as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the University President's statement.

Eisgruber later clarified his position, stating that though demanding academic standards create stress, stress accompanies any worthy endeavor and is not always detrimental to mental health. 

READ HICKS’S COLUMN
Analysis by Michelle Miao

Today's Briefing 

Some predict a recession ahead. Princeton professors are uncertain: Economics professors spoke to the ‘Prince’ about what the future may hold for the economy. Economist William Dudley, a senior research scholar at the Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies told the ‘Prince’ that the Fed is increasing interest rates because it will usually “tilt policy toward addressing inflation,” adding that the “evidence is not very compelling that we are in a recession.” Henry Farber, the Hughes-Rogers Professor of Economics, also expressed doubt about the likelihood of a recession. In an interview with the ‘Prince,’ he said the “signs are very good — the things that fed the inflation, like the pandemic and supply chain issues, seem to be easing.”

READ THE STORY →

Read more: Professor honored for breakthrough in sustainable speeding of chemical reactions:  READ THE STORY →

OPINION | This Black History Month, Let's Push for Symbolic and Structural Change 

Jon Ort / The Daily Princetonian

Staff Columnist Ndeye Thioubou writes that though Princeton has organized events that celebrate Black History Month, the university has “failed to create a safe space for members of the Black diaspora on campus.” Among other actions, Thioubou calls for Princeton to remove the statue of John Witherspoon, due to the fact that he was a slave owner, and notes the inaccessible location of the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding. “For me, the University still has several steps to take before I can believe that their commitment to Black students is genuine, and not simply lip service,” she states. 

READ THE COLUMN →

Sports | Super Bowl Staff Picks

The last Super Bowl for the Philadelphia Eagles was their Super Bowl LII victory in 2018.  
Governor Tom Wolf / CC BY 2.0 

Super Bowl LVII is finally here, and the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will face off in State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona this Sunday, Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Ahead of the most anticipated National Football League game of the year, five members of the Daily Princetonian Sports staff offered their picks. READ THE PREDICTIONS HERE →

Read more: Men’s volleyball falls to CSUN in a five-set nail-biter

At your leisure

If you have any feedback or concerns about today’s newsletter, please email managingeditor@dailyprincetonian.com
Today’s newsletter was copy edited by Naisha Sylvestre. Thank you. 
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Instagram
Email
Spotify
Referred by a friend? Click here to subscribe to The Daily Princetonian Daily Newsletter
Copyright © 2022 The Daily Princetonian, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you either subscribed on our old site or have subscribed recently.

Our mailing address is:
The Daily Princetonian
48 University Pl
Princeton, NJ 08540
Add us to your address book

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
The Daily Princetonian · 48 University Pl · Princeton, NJ 08540 · USA