We've heard about the dangers of alcohol; we've heard about the absurd caloric intake; we've heard about the laws and university policies against underage drinking and drinking games.
Not very many us graduate students here at Princeton actually know what Newman's Day is. But even though we do not have a name for what happens on April 24, many of us see its consequences, most notably in precepts interrupted by those ridiculous but noticeable few who choose to come to class in an intoxicated state, beer can in tow.Of course, if we did know the name, we probably would not use it.
Regarding 'Princeton to Miami' (Tom Hale, April 21):As a native Miamian and current student of Maurice Ferre, mayor of Miami for 12 years and Anschutz Distinguished Fellow in the American studies program, I found Hale's indictment of Miami as a city "with no soul" after a five-day vacation there to be rather distressing.As a gateway to Latin America and dazzling winter haven for northerners, Miami is one of the most complicated, diverse and, at times, overwhelming cities in the world.
My first thought on Princeton addressing grade inflation: good luck underclassmen, because I'm out of here.
I'll start with an admission: Newman's Day is pretty fun. As one of my coworkers put it when asked for her thoughts on the notorious on goings of April 24, "Even if you're not drinking, you get to see students walking around drunk, doing things they wouldn't normally do." Well put, Coco.
It's a safe bet that all the high school seniors here this weekend know Princeton's a great place to learn.
Educated people I speak with often express a profound distrust of the American electorate. Citizens don't read newspapers anymore.
Regarding 'Take Back the Night fights wrong fight' (John Andrews, April 19):I agree that contemporary culture unfortunately tends to value eroticism at the expense of morality.
We are feminists. As one of the organizers of this year's Take Back the Night march and the president of the Organization of Women Leaders, respectively, we have devoted much of our time and energy to promoting the causes of women at Princeton.
I was always a child who knew what she wanted and would go to any means to get it. An inveterate thumb sucker, I amazed my parents at age 4 by promising to kick my habit in exchange for a white plush cat I fell in love with in a toy store.
As readers of this page will know, my thesis is done. As a direct result of that situation, I spent the last five days as far away as possible from the B-floor of Firestone.
Regarding 'An Ugly End' (Editorial, April 19):I should have handled the election email situation differently.
The peacock is a beautiful bird. Its long plumes of brilliance can extend for several meters, draping over the earth velvet teal and purple feathers.
"In the nation's service, and in the service of all nations." As an institution, Princeton is always proud to proclaim this unofficial motto, a statement of its commitment to promote a sense of civic responsibility throughout the University community.Unfortunately, some of Princeton's policies actually serve the exact opposite purpose.
Last week, Dean of the Faculty David Dobkin issued a report indicating that instructor evaluations ? the bubble-sheets distributed by the registrar's office at the end of each term ? have steadily risen since the University began keeping records in 1974."Clearly, something is wrong," read the report.
Take Back the Night marchers have traveled a long way since 1978, when thousands of women united under the slogan to force San Francisco pornography stores to close shop.
The last faculty meeting was well on its way to establishing a new record for the triathlon of ennui (combined aggregate of paucity of attendance, brevity of duration, and vacuity of content) when it accidentally emerged that Dean Malkiel proposed to place before us, at our next meeting, a mystery agendum of weight.
As a child, I used to be a faithful believer in religious holidays and observed them with a kind of fervor and dedication that is seldom seen today.
Dean Malkiel's email to the student body touched off a firestorm last week.You had to admire the reasoned tone and explanation of the dean's proposal, as if students could read the plan to limit the percentages of A grades granted by each department dispassionately, ignoring the fact that it was their own academic records in question.Students react to proposals to systematically lower grades in the same way they would to plans to raise the drinking age or assign more reading in every class: badly.
Regarding 'The taming of the A' (Editorial, April 12):If the university community is to embark on this grand experiment, we should take special care to evaluate how it affects the lives of undergraduates.
