Opinion

Editorial: Introductory courses

It is easy for introductory classes to fall into a state of stagnancy where instructors are content with meager reviews from students and with the assumption that fundamental concepts are by nature less interesting. But students at this University stand to benefit from engaging and contemporary introductory classes. There is ample room for many departments to overhaul their introductory coursework in the spirit of student evaluation and in the direction of current academic research.

Cartoon: McCosh 50, anyone?

Let's not forget the Dinky

I’m going to lay some facts before you about the University’s plans to move to the Dinky, supposedly in order to accommodate the new Arts District it is constructing, and the implications of these plans for us Princeton students.

Double-credit courses

Both HUM and Integrated can incorporate some simple reforms to make the classes more interdisciplinary and meaningful for their students.

Speak for yourself

The problem here is the spokesperson system allows for the transfer of answerability from campus organizations to a removed third-party.

Cartoon: Based on a true story

Seminar's relevance

What makes Princeton unique is the seminar.

Letter to the Editor: April 4th, 2012

We are writing in response to recent comments on The Daily Princetonian website about the Princeton School of Architecture.

Drop courses, not cash

Often, dropping something is the best idea.

Thoughts from home

Going back is hard enough as is.

Cartoon: Self control

Hold the applause

I believe that the University was correct in giving Mr. Olmert a platform to freely express his views. I do not, however, believe that an invitation to speak at this University should be confused with admiration or respect, nor should the student body accept that an individual is decent simply because he or she stood on the stage in McCosh 50. Ultimately, we should take this recent talk as a lesson: to strive to know the politics behind the politician and to think before we applaud.

Why we cover crime

In the days since last Thursday’s coverage of a junior arrested in Ohio, I’ve received questions about why The Daily Princetonian reports on crime. Instead of responding to specific concerns discussed in the article’s online comments, I think it is more productive to outline broadly why we cover, and will continue to cover, crime related to Princeton.

I want it both ways

Letter to the Editor: April 3rd, 2012

Among the reasons for Princeton’s move to end the binding early decision program in 2006 was the goal of encouraging a deep and diverse pool of excellent students to apply to Princeton, including those students who need financial assistance. The establishment of the single-choice early action program allows the University to continue to meet this goal while also providing an opportunity for students who are ready to apply early to do so.

Seniors' last hurrah

I would propose that a similar event to the Dean’s Date celebration be held for the seniors. Each semester, students participate in the “Holder Howl” and then crowd around McCosh for free giveaways and food and the sight of other students rushing to turn in their homework before the imminent deadline. But what makes this experience particularly special — other than every student having the same deadline for projects — is that the entire Princeton community comes together to cheer on students who have completed final projects. The senior thesis should not be any different.

A tale of two libraries and a revolution

Will the new Firestone, with its massive ranks of dead-tree media, attract student readers who have always read on screens? Will the new NYPL keep up its world-class collections of books in dozens of languages — Slavic, Semitic, and African — and the staff of specialists needed to keep finding and cataloguing them — books, most of them, that won’t be available in digital form in the foreseeable future? Will the new Firestone work as social space? Will the new NYPL still support scholars — especially the independent scholars who need it most — and give students a chance to know and love real books as well as their digital shadows? Can public library budgets support the constant upgrading needed to keep a digital workspace usable?

Editorial: On ALTA

The ALTA committee is currently completing a full report they will release later this month, which will include all of the committee’s suggestions on how to improve academic life. The Editorial Board is eager to see the committee’s suggestions for remedying work during midterms and addressing the weaknesses of the P/D/F policy and strongly urges the administration to consider relevant policy changes.

Breaking out in class

But a Breakout trip should not be the first time that a Princeton student has real-world experience with theoretical concepts — service and learning should be connected, and community involvement should be a part of the regular Princeton curriculum. It’s a cliched complaint, but one worth revisiting: If Princeton really wants us to be in the nation’s service and in the service of all nations, shouldn’t we have experience with service and community learning in our academics?

Cartoon: Back to the future