Opinion

3.98 percent a year later: reflecting on the rat race of college admissions

3.98 percent a year later: reflecting on the rat race of college admissions

Yejin Suh

“The thing about having to package and commodify an artistic passion to apply to college is that the line between authenticity and self-branding becomes easily, and irreversibly, blurred.”

“The thing about having to package and commodify an artistic passion to apply to college is that the line between authenticity and self-branding becomes easily, and irreversibly, blurred.”

OPINION | 09/26/2022

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When a club initiation becomes hazing

When a club initiation becomes hazing

Aybars Önder

“No student group should be allowed to haze its members, especially not a group that has a monopoly on an activity like PDP does over debate. It’s not too much to ask that groups allow students to join in a welcoming and open manner.”

“No student group should be allowed to haze its members, especially not a group that has a monopoly on an activity like PDP does over debate. It’s not too much to ask that groups allow students to join in a welcoming and open manner.”

OPINION | 09/25/2022

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New Jersey must do more to bring racial justice and equity to cannabis legalization

New Jersey must do more to bring racial justice and equity to cannabis legalization

Udi Ofer

“While the state has succeeded at drastically curbing arrests, it has much more to do to open the legal cannabis business to the communities it promised to benefit.”

“While the state has succeeded at drastically curbing arrests, it has much more to do to open the legal cannabis business to the communities it promised to benefit.”

OPINION | 09/25/2022

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Reactions: USG considers eliminating referenda

Reactions: USG considers eliminating referenda

Mohan Setty-Charity, Christofer Robles, Abigail Rabieh, and Nate Howard

“If the USG wishes to fulfill its purported preamble dedication to ‘the proposition that students must be included in the making of decisions that affect them,’ they should leave referenda as they are.”

“If the USG wishes to fulfill its purported preamble dedication to ‘the proposition that students must be included in the making of decisions that affect them,’ they should leave referenda as they are.”

OPINION | 09/22/2022

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How Princeton can better support students in job and internship searches

How Princeton can better support students in job and internship searches

Kelsey Ji

“At first I thought that I was the only one who missed these deadlines, but after speaking with more alumni and learning about their recruitment timelines, I discovered that I am far from the only student at the University who was caught off guard by the application timeline.”

“At first I thought that I was the only one who missed these deadlines, but after speaking with more alumni and learning about their recruitment timelines, I discovered that I am far from the only student at the University who was caught off guard by the application timeline.”

OPINION | 09/21/2022

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Ken Buck ’81: Princeton students deserve better than cancel culture

Ken Buck ’81: Princeton students deserve better than cancel culture

Ken Buck

“It’s disconcerting that any student at Princeton, much less a politics concentrator, would hold such a narrow view of what is acceptable discourse. The entire purpose of a liberal arts education is to challenge students’ views, expand their intellectual horizons, and to have them engage deeply with conclusions and viewpoints at odds with their own.”

“It’s disconcerting that any student at Princeton, much less a politics concentrator, would hold such a narrow view of what is acceptable discourse. The entire purpose of a liberal arts education is to challenge students’ views, expand their intellectual horizons, and to have them engage deeply with conclusions and viewpoints at odds with their own.”

OPINION | 09/21/2022

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Secluded campuses can allow for connection with local communities

Secluded campuses can allow for connection with local communities

Mohan Setty-Charity

“Moving to a shared campus and living among others undergoing the same experience is comforting and is a source of peer support during a time of extreme change.”

“Moving to a shared campus and living among others undergoing the same experience is comforting and is a source of peer support during a time of extreme change.” 

OPINION | 09/20/2022

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The missing piece to the free speech puzzle

The missing piece to the free speech puzzle

Abigail Rabieh

“It is a mistake for free speech advocates to solely explain campus controversies in relation to truth-seeking.”

“It is a mistake for free speech advocates to solely explain campus controversies in relation to truth-seeking.”

OPINION | 09/19/2022

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Don’t join the Honor Committee

Don’t join the Honor Committee

Benjamin Gelman

“Students should not be fooled; joining either Committee means participating in the investigation and punishment of one’s peers without due process — and we should simply stop doing so.”

“Students should not be fooled; joining either Committee means participating in the investigation and punishment of one’s peers without due process — and we should simply stop doing so.”

OPINION | 09/18/2022

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Letter to the Editor: The complexity of service

Letter to the Editor: The complexity of service

Kimberly de los Santos

“When we do service, we might say we want to ‘give back,‘ but what if what we want to give isn’t what is needed?”

“When we do service, we might say we want to ‘give back,‘ but what if what we want to give isn’t what is needed?”

OPINION | 09/18/2022

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Smart students study STEM: Unpacking the myths of Princeton’s academic hierarchy

Smart students study STEM: Unpacking the myths of Princeton’s academic hierarchy

Genrietta Churbanova

“It is precisely the weedout culture so widespread in STEM coupled with the intense workload of STEM courses that make many of us perceive STEM as at the top of the academic hierarchy. Because, in all honesty, what social sciences and humanities courses are asking of students is incredibly challenging.”

“It is precisely the weedout culture so widespread in STEM coupled with the intense workload of STEM courses that make many of us perceive STEM as at the top of the academic hierarchy. Because, in all honesty, what social sciences and humanities courses are asking of students is incredibly challenging.”

OPINION | 09/15/2022

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Congressman Ken Buck ’81 does not deserve PICS interns

Congressman Ken Buck ’81 does not deserve PICS interns

Benjamin Gelman

“The way to stop producing alumni like this is to show current Princeton students that their politics do not represent our values, and for us to not support politicians like Buck with our time and talent.”

“The way to stop producing alumni like this is to show current Princeton students that their politics do not represent our values, and for us to not support politicians like Buck with our time and talent.”

OPINION | 09/14/2022

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Restructuring late meal’s pricing

Restructuring late meal’s pricing

Christofer Robles

“The current structure is entirely dependent on the whims of inflation, costs, and gouging. Students on meal plans pay for meals, not discounted entrées.”

“The current structure is entirely dependent on the whims of inflation, costs, and gouging. Students on meal plans pay for meals, not discounted entrées.”

OPINION | 09/13/2022

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Changing ‘concentrations’ to ‘majors’ undermines what makes Princeton unique

Changing ‘concentrations’ to ‘majors’ undermines what makes Princeton unique

John Raulston Graham

“Why apply the “major” name to a program that differs significantly from its peers? The words “concentration” and “certificate” simply allowed Princeton students to explain what was so unique about their education compared to those of peers at other universities.“

“Why apply the “major” name to a program that differs significantly from its peers? The words “concentration” and “certificate” simply allowed Princeton students to explain what was so unique about their education compared to those of peers at other universities.” 

OPINION | 09/12/2022

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Growing departmental requirements threaten the liberal arts education

Growing departmental requirements threaten the liberal arts education

Saad Mirza

“On its own, increasing requirements by one course may not seem like much, but at a school where students can take a limited number of courses, a single more prescribed course can have a large impact—and the pattern shows that students have less and less freedom as to which courses to choose.”

“On its own, increasing requirements by one course may not seem like much, but at a school where students can take a limited number of courses, a single more prescribed course can have a large impact—and the pattern shows that students have less and less freedom as to which courses to choose.”

OPINION | 09/12/2022

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Mourning Queen Elizabeth II isn't about romanticizing the past. It's about national continuity, laws, and history.

Mourning Queen Elizabeth II isn't about romanticizing the past. It's about national continuity, laws, and history.

Juan José López Haddad

“Despite her advanced age of 96 years, her long reign and constant presence in public life — she had just appointed her 15th prime minister two days before — made her departure feel sudden and unexpected. Her passing prompted mourning in Britain, the Commonwealth, and worldwide.”

“Despite her advanced age of 96 years, her long reign and constant presence in public life — she had just appointed her 15th prime minister two days before — made her departure feel sudden and unexpected. Her passing prompted mourning in Britain, the Commonwealth, and worldwide.”

OPINION | 09/11/2022

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Letter to the Editor: The Office of Religious Life is committed to inclusivity

Letter to the Editor: The Office of Religious Life is committed to inclusivity

Alison Boden

“Those who speak with us will find that the statement that the ORL is “not for Jews” — or any religious community — is absolutely contrary to the truth.”

“Those who speak with us will find that the statement that the ORL is “not for Jews” — or any religious community — is absolutely contrary to the truth.”

OPINION | 09/11/2022

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So we’re still pretending tuition is necessary?

So we’re still pretending tuition is necessary?

Rohit Narayanan

“Increasing aid is not enough — Princeton needs to take steps to drastically reduce its sticker price, if not eliminate tuition altogether.”

“Increasing aid is not enough — Princeton needs to take steps to drastically reduce its sticker price, if not eliminate tuition altogether.”

OPINION | 09/08/2022

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What the ‘anti-woke’ crowd gets wrong about the calls for diversity in science

What the ‘anti-woke’ crowd gets wrong about the calls for diversity in science

Agustín Fuentes

“These journals are opening their pages to serious discussion of issues of discrimination and bias in science not necessarily faced by most senior cis-male white scholars — which is a critical component of change.”

“These journals are opening their pages to serious discussion of issues of discrimination and bias in science not necessarily faced by most senior cis-male white scholars — which is a critical component of change.”

OPINION | 09/07/2022

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This Office of Religious Life program is failing to include Jewish students. That needs to change.

This Office of Religious Life program is failing to include Jewish students. That needs to change.

Theodore Gross

“Even the Office of Religious Life, which is supposedly meant to serve as a haven for students of all religions, consistently fails to provide for the religious needs of Jewish students.”

“Even the Office of Religious Life, which is supposedly meant to serve as a haven for students of all religions, consistently fails to provide for the religious needs of Jewish students.”

OPINION | 09/07/2022

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