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(05/10/24 4:01am)
Princeton gives its students much freedom within their distribution requirements. Rather than requiring a small number of specific courses, each student can take many courses that fall into a variety of “general education areas.” There are six distribution requirements in the humanities and social sciences: Culture and Difference, Epistemology and Cognition, Ethical Thought and Moral Values, Historical Analysis (HA), Literature and the Arts, and Social Analysis (SA). A.B. students are required to take one course in each category, other than Literature and the Arts and SA, in which they are required to take two courses. Doubling up in these categories implies that they are particularly important for Princetonians. Social Analysis is one of those prioritized subjects — but, as has become obvious in recent protests, good social analysis relies on a deep understanding of history. For this reason, Princeton should add a second Historical Analysis requirement to accompany the second Social Analysis requirement — because the latter cannot exist without the former.
(04/16/24 4:19am)
I’m a first-year, and in less than a year, it’ll be time for me, my friends, and the Class of 2027 to join eating clubs. When we do, we’ll be looking for spaces where we can relax, socialize, and be among friends. We’re looking for places where we can have a reprieve from the fast pace of Princeton life, places where we can eat dinner, play pool, and sit around in complete comfort. For those of us of marginalized identities, that also means that we’re looking for a community that will respect us in a way that the outside world sometimes doesn’t. All of us, in our different ways, are looking for places where we feel at home. To phrase it in a way that has become controversial, we’re looking for safe spaces.
(03/18/24 4:12am)
Last month, University President Christopher Eisgruber took to The Atlantic to defend the coexistence of diversity and excellence at elite universities. Eisgruber argued that, contrary to recent myths, “efforts to grow and embrace diversity at America’s great research universities have made them better than ever.” He points to the fact that the academic standing of matriculating classes has been improving since the university began accepting students of all backgrounds. This is true, but not a complete argument, and it can’t effectively defend diversity alone.
(02/01/24 6:26am)
Since affirmative action was overturned in June 2023, conversations about how to promote campus diversity and fairness in admissions have turned towards criticism of legacy admissions. Affirmative action and legacy admissions are often positioned as opposing forces — they are perceived as respective representations of diversity and tradition. Recently, columnist Sarah Park argued for the acceptability of legacy admissions on account of their ability to foster “intergenerational community” and noted a general negativity about legacy and legacy students themselves. This negativity exists for good reason: legacy admissions perpetuate privilege and have, historically largely benefitted wealthy, white students. But as time goes on, diversity is increasing within the legacy pool, despite the fact that it is still less diverse than our campus as a whole. No longer are all legacies stereotypical, privileged, white kids. As Princeton continues to diversify, legacy will too. If we end legacy now, we are prematurely eliminating the advantages that come from a more diverse intergenerational community.
(12/07/23 5:40am)
Over the course of the last year, the Opinion section has published 211 columns and guest contributions. Though there has been much opined, even more has been left unsaid. We asked our columnists to share their opinions on a topic of campus life that never made it into a full piece.
(12/06/23 3:52am)
When Sajan Rhea Young ’24 recently opened up about his historical connection to the University through the institution of slavery, I was reminded of my own heritage. I am a direct descendant of an enslaved man who was recorded to have worked at the University of Virginia (UVA). My family learned of this connection through a program for descendants of enslaved people who labored at UVA, in which the group worked with the university to track down descendants and provide them with enrollment and scholarship opportunities. UVA’s acknowledgment of my ancestor’s previously unrecognized contributions gave me and my family a sense of pride. Families who have a similar relationship to Princeton deserve that same reconciliation.
(10/23/23 1:38am)
When the first-year class descends upon Princeton’s campus each fall, they are ready to begin the next chapter of their lives. Their first steps include attending events with hundreds of new faces, completing dozens of orientation sessions, and embarking upon orientation trips. These experiences help students acclimate to the Princeton community, but after orientation programming, first-years are faced with an entirely new campus landscape: in their absence, nearly 4,000 sophomore, junior, and seniors have moved back onto campus. Many students find this new landscape overwhelming; yet for some, the transition seems less drastic, thanks to prior connections to upperclassmen, which often resulted from privileged upbringings. To provide a more even playing field for all students, the University should create opportunities for all first-year students to build comparable connections with upperclassmen.