Columns

Princeton’s luxury discourages public service

"By being conscious of the opulence that surrounds us, we can avoid internalizing a belief that our degrees and academic achievement make us more deserving of a high quality of life."

"By being conscious of the opulence that surrounds us, we can avoid internalizing a belief that our degrees and academic achievement make us more deserving of a high quality of life."

Princeton has a construction problem. Now it’s affecting the student experience.

"Along with inefficient routes and longer walk times, the campus’ sheer size post-expansion is resulting in an increasingly disjointed community. The larger campus becomes, the more disconnected down-campus students are from their up-campus counterparts."

"Along with inefficient routes and longer walk times, the campus’ sheer size post-expansion is resulting in an increasingly disjointed community. The larger campus becomes, the more disconnected down-campus students are from their up-campus counterparts."

Princeton’s mail services should be more transparent

“The Princeton mail system is currently confusing, but it doesn’t need to be that way. Most of the issues with the system seem to be easy fixes, especially notifying students when they receive paper mail.”

"The Princeton mail system is currently confusing, but it doesn't need to be that way. Most of the issues with the system seem to be easy fixes, especially notifying students when they receive paper mail."

Economic suffocation in the Orange Bubble

Princeton’s current endowment trumps the GDP of many countries, yet if its property continues to expand, the orange bubble may be fundamentally unable to sustain itself. Princeton University needs to accordingly reevaluate the degree to which it influences the surrounding municipality, decrease its accelerated construction, and fundamentally restructure its contributions to the local neighborhoods.

Princeton’s current endowment trumps the GDP of most countries, yet if its property continues to expand, the orange bubble may be fundamentally unable to sustain itself. Princeton University needs to accordingly reevaluate the degree to which it influences the surrounding municipality, decrease its accelerated construction, and fundamentally restructure its contributions to the surrounding infrastructure.

For more socioeconomic diversity at Princeton, going test-optional is the wrong place to start

"Removing the SAT and ACT requirement is not the answer to increase socioeconomic diversity at Princeton. Standardized testing scores are the one objective admissions metric that is least biased towards wealthy students and is most helpful in identifying students who did not have the opportunity to take advanced coursework, participate in expensive activities, or enhance their application through attendance at prestigious high schools."

An image of Nassau Hall, Princeton's administrative center.

Why mandated majors at Princeton don't work

“Concentrations are far from necessary for a comprehensive academic experience at the University. From personal experience, despite enjoying many department courses as a Politics major, the majority of my most formative academic experiences came from classes in multiple other departments: Sociology, African American Studies, Computer Science, Journalism, and more.”

“Concentrations are far from necessary for a comprehensive academic experience at the University. From personal experience, despite enjoying many department courses as a Politics major, the majority of my most formative academic experiences came from classes in multiple other departments: Sociology, African American Studies, Computer Science, Journalism, and more.”

Princeton should display more local art on campus

“This art isn’t mere decoration. It’s part of a conversation that unfolds across space and time, people and places — whether we’re aware of it or not.”

Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies should be a mandatory class

“GSS 201 not only taught me a lot about how to interact with people from different backgrounds and communities, but it also taught me how to reflect on newfound knowledge at the end of a course, which I have since translated into all of my courses at Princeton.”

“GSS 201 not only taught me a lot about how to interact with people from different backgrounds and communities, but it also taught me how to reflect on newfound knowledge at the end of a course, which I have since translated into all of my courses at Princeton.”

In a time of war, don’t post what you won’t perpetrate

“War is not simple, nor is it something most of us are ever going to participate in. We must not simplify it whilst we sit in privileged safety.”

The class council candidates are anonymous. Make them debate.

"Despite numerous posters around campus and various social media posts promoting the candidates, a randomly selected first-year would be unlikely to know the candidates’ names."

Despite numerous posters around campus and various social media posts promoting the candidates, a randomly selected first-year would be unlikely to know the candidates’ names.

Princeton’s statement on Hamas stands in stark contrast with Ivy League peers’

Princeton’s proactive, morally unambiguous response focused on compassion and education in the service of humanity, a stark contrast to those of peer institutions. 

Princeton’s proactive, morally unambiguous response, focused on compassion and education in the service of humanity, constituted a stark contrast to those of peer institutions. 

Applying early to Princeton shouldn’t be a risk. Ditch restrictive early action.

Applying to Princeton early has become a privileged pathway, rewarding those with enough resources to take an application risk and shutting out those who want or need the security that Princeton’s ultra-competitive process can’t offer.

Applying to Princeton early has become a privileged pathway, rewarding those with enough resources to take an application risk and shutting out those who want or need the security that Princeton’s ultra-competitive process can’t offer.

Beauty in bureaucracy: the argument for an expanded administration

“There are more people to hear our complaints and suggestions, and a greater number of pathways for student voices to travel all the way up to the desks of the people who can address our concerns”

"There are more people to hear our complaints and suggestions, and a greater number of pathways for student voices to travel all the way up to the desks of the people who can address our concerns"

Princeton’s civic engagement issue is deeper than what a ‘service requirement’ can fix

When faced with a Princeton-related issue like students overwhelmingly going into industries that don’t “serve humanity,” it is natural to first look to the University for potential causes and solutions. But given that the problem is rooted in projected-earnings, a service requirement would not fix the problem. 

When faced with a Princeton-related issue like students overwhelmingly going into industries that don't "serve humanity," it is natural to first look to the University for potential causes and solutions. But given that the problem is rooted in projected-earnings, a service requirement would not fix the problem. 

Orient first-years with all of Princeton, not just each other

"The administration seems to be relatively successful in facilitating bonds between students of the same year: Why can’t they do this between freshman and upperclassmen?"

The administration seems to be relatively successful in facilitating bonds between students of the same year: Why can’t they do this between freshman and upperclassmen?

To combat inequity faced by international students, Princeton must expand its departmental classifications

“Many international students whose primary academic interests lie in a non-STEM field end up in Catch-22. They can prioritize majoring in a field that addresses their academic passion and potentially lose residency in the country in which they want to use their degree, or they can prioritize extending their stay in the US post graduation, only to be faced with job prospects that don’t interest them.”

"Many international students whose primary academic interests lie in a non-STEM field end up in Catch-22. They can prioritize majoring in a field that addresses their academic passion and potentially lose residency in the country in which they want to use their degree, or they can prioritize extending their stay in the US post graduation, only to be faced with job prospects that don’t interest them."

Invisible Borders: The case for diversifying Princeton’s international student body

"Accepting concentrated groups of students from such prevalent international schools is that they aren’t very 'international' to begin with, which results in a lack of dimension in the voices of the international community on campuses."

"Accepting concentrated groups of students from such prevalent international schools is that they aren’t very “international” to begin with, which results in a lack of dimension in the voices of the international community on campuses."

It’s time for Princeton to stop serving beef

"As the largest supplier of food on campus, the University has the responsibility to take necessary actions for the health of its students and the planet."

"As the largest supplier of food on campus, the University has the responsibility to take necessary actions for the health of its students and the planet."

More gender-neutral bathrooms would make Princeton more inclusive

“Provide an easily accessible single-stall gender-neutral bathroom in every building, and include access to gender-neutral bathrooms when honoring requests for gender-inclusive living assignments — which should be granted immediately upon request.”

"Provide an easily accessible single-stall gender-neutral bathroom in every building, and include access to gender-neutral bathrooms when honoring requests for gender-inclusive living assignments — which should be granted immediately upon request."

With few accommodations, ill students struggle

Princeton should heavily consider better accommodating ill students on campus with social, financial, and academic accommodations, and act as a body that facilitates recovery, not as one that exacerbates it.

A view of a hallway in an isolation dorm.