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(09/20/15 7:00pm)
The start of classes is an exciting time, offering students a chance to meet new people, reconnect with old friends and explore varied interests. But for some students, this is overshadowed by schedules not yet finalized due to University policies related to add/drop period for non-freshman, precept selection and access to course syllabi. The Board proposes three reforms to the start of the fall semester: allow upperclassmen to add or drop courses when Academic Year Sign-In begins, improve the process of precept selection and require that professors post course syllabi on Blackboard two weeks prior to the start of classes. We believe these changes will ease students’ transition to the fall semester and create more choice and flexibility.
(05/10/15 5:30pm)
This academic year, Princeton’s undergraduate student body voted in a series of contentious referenda. While Undergraduate Student Government elections are governed by campaign finance regulations outlined in the USG Elections Handbook, students involved in referendum campaigns are only bound by Princeton’s “Rights, Rules, Responsibilities,” as well as New Jersey law. As a result, referenda become an electoral free-for-all during which student advocacy organizations have the ability to spend unlimited funds in support of their causes without listing their donors.
(05/07/15 6:20pm)
Commencement marks the end of of the undergraduate careers of Princeton seniors and includes four days of events for the members of the graduating class and their families. This is a time for great celebration that is meant to be shared with friends and relatives; however, given the differing capacities of the events’ various venues, seniors are given limited numbers of tickets for invitees. The number of allotted tickets is the same for all seniors, and those who want more are not allowed to buy them. The Board believes that the University should create a formal system for commencement ticket redistribution.
(05/03/15 6:00pm)
Princeton Preview has come and gone, and the University is preparing to welcome the Class of 2019 in September. For incoming freshmen, orientation week is a turbulent transition into a new social scene, and residential college advisers serve as guides to University policy and culture, including sexuality on campus. Next fall, RCAs will distribute a copy of “You’re So Sexy When You Aren’t Transmitting STDs,” a comic book meant to provide freshmen with information about consent and safe sex. Additionally, all freshmen will watch the play “The Way You Move,” which addresses campus sexual climate. While presenting this material engagingly is commendable, the University fails to treat the subject matter with the gravity it deserves and to include those who choose abstinence.Sexual well-being is no joking matter. Sure, people have different views about sex, but a hand-drawn comic book with frivolous characters like “Dick McClean” and “Captain Buzzkill” — not to mention a cover adorned with penises growing on vines — is simply no way to discuss weighty matters like STDs or the psychological effects of sexual intimacy. During freshman week, the University treats other serious subjects — such as academic integrity, alcohol use, mental health and eating disorders — with due sensitivity, respect and gravity. Why not sex? Scrap the tasteless cartoons. A more concise but engaging booklet with simple, medically accurate diagrams would provide all the necessary information in a more dignified manner.A second problem with the comic book is its complete neglect to mention abstinence, let alone offer any strategies for maintaining abstinence if students so choose. Though the book explicitly addresses those who “have had sex, are having sex, or plan to have sex,” the fact that the book — with a condom taped to it — is mandatory handout material sends a message biased toward facilitating or even encouraging sexual activity. This fails to convey the full range of attitudes toward sex on campus and excludes students committed to or considering abstinence — whether for health reasons, moral reasons or both. Leaving off the gratuitous condom and including a section devoted to abstinence would remedy the problem.Besides the comic book, the mandatory orientation week play could also be improved. Currently titled “The Way You Move,” the play has been edited to focus increasingly on sexual assault in recent years; in last year’s revision of the play, however, the openly abstinent character was eliminated. Increased discussion of sexual assault in the play is valuable, but it does not require the removal of a character whose message is supportive toward a significant portion of the student body. Restoring this character would reduce the likelihood of alienating abstinent students, thereby increasing the likelihood that they will be receptive to other key messages in the play. Besides simply being more welcoming, both the play and the comic book could steer students who are considering abstinence toward resources like Counseling and Psychological Services, the Office of Religious Life or Peer Health Advising.Since all freshmen are to receive the informational materials and to attend the play, the University should attend to the various needs of the incoming class, not just those planning to be sexually active. Treating sex seriously and incorporating abstinence into the freshman week curriculum that the University is now preparing would create a better, more inclusive environment for the incoming Tigers of 2019.Cydney Kim ‘17, Kevin Wong ‘17, and Andrew Tsukamoto ‘15 abstained from the writing of this editorial.DissentWe disagree for three reasons: (1) the objective of sex education is to educate incoming freshmen about sexual health and safety; (2) the programming employed by the University only needs to promote this objective; and (3) given the role of the University, distributing condoms to incoming freshmen is appropriate. Furthermore, we find the arguments made by the majority to be riddled with moral bias and to be devoid of objectivity.The University offers educational programming about sexual safety and health to promote communal health and well-being. Abstinence is not a matter of sexual health; rather, it is a matter of personal choice and morality. Since the relevant University interest is health, it would be unnecessary for the University to distribute materials related to morality. Condoms are a mechanism to promote sexual health; they facilitate and encourage safe sex on a campus where many students are sexually active.We recognize that the University must provide programming that is both informative and engaging. We agree that it would be imprudent to create comics about certain campus issues; however, we believe the comic book to which the majority has referred strikes the balance well. The majority fails to offer any reason beyond morality for always presenting sex education in stark medical terms. Would a sheet of statistics distributed in September spur this sort of discussion? We think not.For these reasons, we respectfully dissent.Signed by Daniel Elkind ‘17, Mitchell Johnston ‘15, Daphna Le Gall ’15, Jeffrey Leibenhaut ‘16, Carolyn Liziewski ‘18, Sam Mathews ‘17, Connor Pfeiffer ‘18, Aditya Trivedi ‘16 and Jillian Wilkowski ‘15TheEditorial Boardis an independent body and decides its opinions separately from the regular staff and editors of The Daily Princetonian. The Board answers only to its Chair, the Opinion Editor and the Editor-In-Chief.
(04/30/15 6:22pm)
Princeton Preview is the University’s premier outreach event for admitted students. Prior to the meningitis B outbreak that occurred a year and a half ago, Preview was a three-day event that included extensive exposure to student life and overnight stays in the University’s residential colleges. Last April, we agreed with the University’s decision to shorten Preview to a daylong program in response to the meningitis outbreak. However, given that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now consider the University’s meningitis B risk equivalent to that of other colleges, the Editorial Board advocates that the University return to its overnight model for Preview.
(04/26/15 4:50pm)
Last week, The Daily Princetonian reported on an initiative by Princeton Hindu Satsangam and a number of both Hindu and non-Hindu students to advocate for the creation of a Hindu prayer space on campus. Though the University Chapel hosts Hindu events and Murray-Dodge Hall, which houses the University’s Religious Life offices, contains an interfaith prayer room, supporters of the proposal have pointed out that the establishment of a space geared specifically towards Hindu worship would offer a meaningful recognition of Princeton’s large Hindu community. Additionally, a new Hindu prayer space would contribute to the mission of fostering diversity and cultural awareness which lies at the core of the University’s educational goals. The Editorial Board endorses this initiative and commends the students who have expressed interest in a prayer space for their efforts to enhance Hindu life at Princeton.
(04/23/15 6:10pm)
Club sports are an integral part of university life for many students. At the University, the more visible varsity sports teams, which accommodate only a small fraction of the student body, are complemented by the large number of club sports. According to the Campus Recreation website, the University has 37 different club sports, rangin from fencing to ultimate frisbee. Open to all University students, regardless of skill level, club sports contribute to the physical health and well-being of the students who participate, as they emphasize peer leadership and student development outside the classroom. Thus, the Editorial Board recommends that Campus Rec better support clubs with start-up funding and fundraising assistance.
(04/19/15 3:17pm)
From noon today through noon on Wednesday, voting will take place in the Spring USG Elections. The ballot includes a referendum to determine if Princeton students will call on the Trustees “to divest [the University’s endowment] from multinational corporations that maintain the infrastructure of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.” The Board urges students to vote no on the divestment referendum. We believe that the University should not directly insert itself in heavily politicized issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially when such issues have been the source of widespread disagreement on campus. Further, we consider the specific condemnation of Israel’s actions without similar condemnation of worse conduct exhibited by other nations to be a philosophically inconsistent show of ‘selective outrage.’
(04/16/15 8:02pm)
Princeton is not perfect. We have persistent problems with race, gender and class that affect members of our student body every day. Far too often, it falls upon the most affected groups to work alone to combat these problems. The fact that the University shares this dynamic with the rest of society does not make the situation excusable. We can do better, and we should do better. Being in the service of a righteous cause, however, does not exempt activists from criticism. We, the Editorial Board, disapprove of the misconstrual of the words of University President Eisgruber ’83 during the protest at the Chapel on Sunday and commend Eisgruber for his thoughtful response to the discussion surrounding Urban Congo and Big Sean.
(04/12/15 6:23pm)
A university is a stage for the clash of ideas through reasoned discourse between those of diverse points of view. Princetonians are diverse in many ways. We differ academically, politically and culturally. Diversity of thought inevitably yields disagreement. But despite our differences and deep personal investment in various debates, we pride ourselves on the ability to engage with one another and develop ideas and values through healthy participation in the University’s intellectual community. We therefore commend the University faculty and President Eisgruber’s administration for passing a motion to include a more comprehensive statement protecting freedom of expression in the University “Rights, Rules, Responsibilities,” and we strongly encourage our peer institutions to follow suit.
(04/09/15 6:40pm)
Since it went live on Sunday, the petition to have Big Sean dropped as the Lawnparties main act has fueled an intense debate within the student body. The Editorial Board supports the discussion about misogyny in music and the role the campus community has in perpetuating it; however, the Board thinks that the petition’s focus on the Undergraduate Student Government should be expanded to a more holistic critique of campus culture in general. Instead of looking to blame USG president Ella Cheng ’16 and social chair Simon Wu ’17, the Board thinks that those who have signed the petition should look at the campus community and the choices that have led to his invitation, as well as the role that music with derogatory lyrics plays in our social lives.
(04/05/15 1:22pm)
Last week, an opinion column was published in The Daily Princetonian by members of the Faculty-Student Committee on Sexual Misconduct urging the student body of the University to participate in the "WeSpeak: Attitudes on Sexual Misconduct at Princeton" survey. According to an email distributed to students by the committee, the objective of the survey is simple: to learn about the prevalence of sexual assault at Princeton and to more effectively address issues related to sexual violence and sexual assault. The Editorial Board recognizes the critical importance of accurate data related to instances of sexual assault and sexual violence at the University, and the Board is concerned that an initially low response rate may have caused the University to extend the survey deadline. Consequently, we urge every student to participate in the survey before its April 7 deadline.
(04/02/15 6:30pm)
The Daily Princetonian recently published an article, as part of a four-part Women’s History Month feature series, on the rise of female visibility and leadership in major campus organizations as well as on the Street. While many women have been elected in recent years to ‘visible’ positions such as president of the USG, chair of the Honor Committee and editor-in-chief of the ‘Prince,’ Princeton has yet to fully bridge the gender gap. After all, while these elections demonstrate progress, many Princeton undergraduate women continue to face barriers to leadership positions. For example, when an organization’s officer corps or membership body is predominantly male, female members may drop out if they feel uncomfortable or if they do not see opportunities for leadership in the future. This creates a cycle of low female retention rates and low female visibility in leadership roles. Thus in order to better facilitate and encourage female leadership on campus, the Board urges campus organizations such as the Women’s Center to change their outreach campaigns in order to foster more inclusive dialogue. Furthermore, the Board encourages all University and student groups to push for more diverse representation and female visibility, especially at recruiting events.
(03/29/15 5:20pm)
The Continental Army fired cannonballs at Nassau Hall during the Battle of Princeton, and Albert Einstein taught in what is now the Frist Campus Center. These moments in Princeton history figure prominently in the typical Orange Key campus tour attended by many undergraduates when they were prospective students. Less well-known is that the world’s first telegraph line was set up between Joseph Henry’s Princeton home and his laboratory in the University’s Philosophical Hall or that Pete Conrad '53, commander of Apollo 12, brought small Princeton flags to the moon in November 1969. Currently, no outlet for sharing these aspects of Princeton lore with interested Princeton students, community members and other campus visitors exists. To address this programming gap, the Editorial Board proposes that Orange Key creates and advertises a weekly Historical Tour focused on Princeton’s architecture, history and traditions. Furthermore, we recommend the Admission Office offer tours of this nature during the upcoming Princeton Preview days for admitted students and their families.
(03/26/15 5:04pm)
Campus Dining is managed with remarkable skill and efficiency. Even while serving thousands of students, staff and visitors each day, the award-winning residential dining program makes it a priority to offer nutritious and sustainable menus. The retail dining system, meanwhile, provides quality services in a number of easily accessible locations. However, there is still significant room for improvement, specifically in the area of waste reduction. The University could do much in the way of small adjustments to dining operations in order to promote financial and environmental efficiency. To that end, the Editorial Board offers two proposals. First, Campus Dining should gradually reduce the size of plates in the residential dining halls. Second, make the Princeton University water bottles currently sold in Frist Campus Center ineligible for the Late Meal allowance.
(03/22/15 2:07pm)
With midterms week, today begins the period during which students can elect to use the pass/D/fail grading option for one class in lieu of receiving a letter grade. According to the University’s 2014-15 Undergraduate Announcement, the P/D/F option is in place in order to “encourage exploration and experimentation in curricular areas in which the student may have had little or no experience.” The P/D/F option allows students to take classes that interest them in areas outside their comfort zone without the added pressure of the usual grading system and its effect on their GPAs. Despite the many merits of the P/D/F option, however, the Editorial Board proposes that University’s existing policy could be improved by extending the P/D/F deadline to the beginning of reading period and allowing students to rescind but lose a P/D/F selection after seeing their final grade in a class.
(03/12/15 7:25pm)
By the time University freshmen reach their spring semester, it is assumed that the rich experiences and individuals they have encountered in the first few months of college will allow them to decide with ease where and with whom they would like to live the following year. And, although the process of choosing housing is no longer a novelty once students reach sophomore spring, finding upperclassman housing can still be daunting. Room draw policies play a major role in students’ lives each spring, and in order to create the most efficient experience possible, the Editorial Board offers three proposals: (1) institute an internal review system of dormitory conditions, (2) release statistics relating to upperclassman housing earlier to coincide with eating club decisions, and (3) arrange University-wide socials for students seeking roommates during the hectic draw process.
(03/08/15 2:23pm)
In three weeks, the University will extend admissions offers to the newest batch of Princetonians, and if the trend displayed in recent years holds true, the pool of accepted students will be the most diverse in the University’s history. All prospective students will have demonstrated strong academic capacity and diversity of experiences to the admissions committee — hence their admission to the University — but not all are necessarily prepared for some aspects of Princeton’s unique academic environment. Accordingly, the University hosts multiple programs meant to support first-generation students, students from high schools with fewer resources and students who will face particularly rigorous coursework during their first year. One such program is the Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI).
(03/05/15 7:15pm)
Monday begins the notoriously stressful week of midterms. Whereas for final exams the University provides a reading period and a designated exam period, midterms week is hardly set apart from any other week of the semester, and the exams taken often carry significant weight in course grading. Midterms are often treated like other assignments that students should be expected to juggle; in some cases, students have had 150-minute exams on weeknights, in addition to class and precept. Meanwhile, since there is no special reading period or exam week, extracurricular activities still go on; athletes will have regular practice, clubs and student organizations may hold important meetings, campus events will happen, and libraries will operate at normal hours.
(03/01/15 6:15pm)
Recently, a group of students began a campaign known as the Princeton Sustainable Investment Initiative (PSII), seeking to implement a series of proposals concerning the University’s management of its endowment and environmental impact. Specifically, PSII calls on the University to report on the environmental impact of its investments and ultimately to cease investing in companies that are deemed insufficiently environmentally friendly. Members of the PSII have arranged to meet with the University Resources Committee on March 3. The Board urges the University to reject this effort to politicize the endowment and unduly tie the hands of the Princeton University Investment Company. Caving to such demands would fruitlessly compromise the endowment’s return on investment and, more importantly, doing so would risk the many benefits that a strong endowment affords to Princeton students, especially a strong financial aid program.