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
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