For a while, the Democratic senator from New Jersey was in deep trouble. No, not Cory Booker. I’m talking about the other senator, Robert Menendez.
This holiday season, all of us should take a moment to be humble and give thanks for Princeton. Princeton is an institution with many pros and many cons. Its perpetuation of inequalities, dark sides of history, and difficulties with change can be at times hard to swallow. But those are topics for other columns and other days. For now, let us focus on the positive; let us give thanks.
A couple of days ago, the New York Times Sunday review featured an op-ed: “Can My Children Be Friends With White People,” written by Ekow Yankah. Yankah argues in his piece that he will teach his children “suspicion,” “distrust,” and caution with respect to white people. His main argument rests upon the assertion that white people and black people cannot achieve “true” friendship because their friendship lacks the “ability” of trust.
As proud students and alumni of Princeton University, we the undersigned write to express our deep concerns regarding the University’s handling of the recent sexual harassment case against electrical engineering professor Sergio Verdu. We ask that the University elevate its disciplinary actions against Professor Verdu and firmly establish that sexual harassment will not be tolerated in our community.
While walking to Firestone in the late hours of a recent November night, I was interrupted by a friend who remarked that I looked incredibly fatigued. My friend tried to persuade me to get a good night’s sleep and start fresh the next morning, in lieu of a late night in the bookstands. After some hesitation, I agreed, and returned to my dorm for a rarely satisfying sleep.
Like every Princeton student, I feel compunction to study almost every minute of the day. But, when I consider the millions of people who face the challenges and indignities of extreme poverty, worrying about the difference between an “A-” and “B+” seems like an unimaginable luxury.
Last semester, Princeton Students for Gender Equality (PSGE) and Princeton Students for Reproductive Justice (PSRJ) hosted the first Menstruation Celebration, a festive event in Frist Campus Center meant to both infuse joy into a discussion of a stigmatized topic and raise awareness about problems of access to menstrual products for those who need them. Additionally, sponsors of the event emphasized the acceptance of all uterus-owners and the disconnect between biological function and gender expression.
Two events have recently made the University’s endowment a subject of debate: the GOP tax plan proposal and the release of the Paradise Papers. Together, these highlight the multifaceted controversy over how universities handle their billion-dollar endowments and how the government moderates that use. On one hand, University officials expressed formal opposition to the proposed taxes on the grounds that the endowment funds academic work and financial aid, and on the other, Princeton and others have drawn criticism precisely for employing funds in offshore investment.
Joining the military is a noble way to serve the nation. While one may disagree with the political reasons behind various wars, a soldier's primary duty is — as mentioned in the oath of enlistment — to, "support and defend the Constitution of the United States." They risk their lives to protect the document that secures our freedoms and democratic government. For this reason, the University should help more of the veterans who have protected our rights.
The Sackler family, donors of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at the University Museum, has recently been surrounded in controversy for their involvement in the opioid industry and the development of OxyContin. The emergence of reports describing the family’s role in promoting the drug, prominent in the opioid crisis that causes over 1,000 American fatalities a week, has resurfaced debates at the University regarding donor stipulations and moral obligations.
Rather than think of Berman’s article as a critique of hypocrisy in campus protests, we can reasonably understand it as an appeal to conservative ideals while hiding behind social justice language and employing Islamophobic and racist rhetoric.
I cannot fathom how Princeton might struggle to replace sexual harassers. Surely the University can find faculty with not just high academic standards, but also acceptable moral ones.
The irony of Sarsour's being invited to speak at the University’s Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding is not lost on me. Every American should be offended by Sarsour. Yet the answer isn’t to ban her. More than ever, free speech is critical on campus. Although Sarsour’s arguments are indefensible, the bigotry and prejudice that she espouses will only be eradicated with dedicated and rigorous discourse.
Technology is a tool to improve society but shouldn’t be idolized. It is a means and not an end. Unless we think critically about what purpose we are building towards, we may find ourselves inventing things that would be better off not existing. History is rife with examples of technology going wrong or even being used to advance death and destruction, from the A-bomb to Zyklon B. Furthermore, there are some things that technology may never be able to do. I am skeptical that an app will ever cure depression or heal racial divides. We should not approach technology unquestioningly, but rather with a balance of both hope and realism about its limitations.
In my six-week Global Seminar experience in Cuba, I felt challenged in ways I never had during my first two years on campus. I was constantly placed in situations beyond my comfort zone: navigating the language barrier, understanding religious ceremonies, being perceived as a clear outsider for the first time in my life. But the fact that the course was a Princeton program provided a comfortable community to share all of these experiences. I learned while being mentored and was challenged alongside my peers. Having grown so significantly, both personally and academically, in only a half-semester, I cannot imagine my Princeton experience without this international component.
When an advisor sexually harasses a student, that student has no good options. If a student pushes back, they must worry about the potential far-reaching impact on their career, and they may have to change research fields entirely. We must adopt a zero-tolerance policy, where violation equals termination.
For the foreseeable future, Princeton, bound by its voluntary agreement with the Office of Civil Rights, will continue to operate under the preponderance of the evidence standard, will complete each investigation within 60 calendar days of receiving a complaint, and will not allow for mediation or informal resolution between a complainant and a respondent. DeVos’s changes, however, reflect the Department of Education’s changing views on Title IX, and may foreshadow future guidelines that would affect Princeton’s policies.
