Opinion

PrinceCast #25: Social evolution edition

This week, columnists Greg Burnham, Peter Zakin and Michael Medeiros discuss integrating graduate students into campus life and the evolution of what it means to be "quintessentially Princeton."You can now subscribe to the weekly PrinceCasts on iTunes.

The new 'quintessentially Princeton'

My Cloister membership, however, does not make me any more of a "true Princetonian." And no eating club affiliation would.

Editorial: Standards for preceptors

While each department should tailor its training to its preceptors, adopting the model of some of the humanities departments and requiring semester-long training are appropriate measures to help regulate teaching and ensure more consistency among the precepts.

Room dra(w)ma

I still haven't gotten used to sharing a space smaller than my room at home with other people, but I think I have learned a lot about compromise.

The Olympics and human nature

Every two years, the Olympics display values and virtues that are universally recognized to be fundamentally, objectively good. It is not sport as such but the virtues that it instills in competitors and then presents to onlookers — who wish to see the best of which humanity is capable — that are universally attractive.

Cartoon: The Nets explain their abysmal performance

Valentine's Day with the philosophers

We usually think that “love” is a better subject for posters or poetry than for philosophy, more fit for sonnets than syllogisms. So it is surprising to find an overtly erotic element in many of the greatest philosophers of the West —and in particular, at the heart of one of the founding documents in Western philosophy.

Cartoon: Snowballs = love

In defense of study abroad

Students may at times have some complaints about their program, their university or their homestay family, but, almost invariably, they write that the overall experience was well worth it and that they learned quite a bit about themselves and their own society in addition to that of their hosts.

Editorial: Switching to direct loans

When loans are provided to students by private lenders through the FFELP, economic troubles can worsen the rates on loans available to students and reduce the ability of these loans to make college affordable. Because the Direct Loan program lends money straight from the government, it would be able to continue providing low-interest rates on loans even in an economic recession.

Going gaga

The opening shot of the video to “Bad Romance” is likely as close to artistic perfection as Western civilization will ever come.

The invisible third

It soon became clear that it was I, the grad student, who was the exotica on campus. I am sketchy by the very nature of my being, unloved by the University and exiled to the deepest dungeons in Firestone or the farthest reaches of the E-Quad.

Cartoon: The ex-Forbesian's dilemma

Give me a (real) break

Let me draw attention to the dividing line that our calendar draws on campus, which divides local or wealthy students and those who are far-flung or less well off.

Slow food and fast, University style

Slow scholarship — like Slow Food — is deeper and richer and more nourishing than the fast stuff. But it takes longer to make, and, to do it properly, you have to employ eccentric people who insist on doing things their way.

Cartoon: The nature of love

Editorial: Lessons from Alabama

The incident in Alabama is cause for our community to reflect on what more we can do to prevent such a tragedy here.

Anscombe, sex and reason

The Anscombe Society’s condemnation of its detractors stands on weak logical ground.

The Pyne Prize's not-so-radical message

By the looks of it, our communal values have changed wildly over the past year; radical change is out and incremental change is in.

PrinceCast #24: Community search edition

This week, columnists Peter Zakin and Michael Medeiros discuss whether residential colleges should be mandatory for upperclassmen and tonight's basketball game against Cornell.You can now subscribe to the weekly PrinceCasts on iTunes.