Opening doors
The remarks made by Boston University Director of Financial Aid Barbara Tornow accusing Princeton of trying to "buy" students with its new expanded financial aid policy are ridiculous.
Ms. Tornow accuses Princeton of stealing lower and middle class students from Boston University and other similar institutions by making it possible for them to attend Princeton. Financial Vice President Dick Spies GS '72 and Director of Undergraduate Financial Aid Don Betterton both deny this allegation and claim that the true motive for the expanded aid policy is a desire to make Princeton more financially accessible to students with limited resources.
University administrators should be commended for their actions in expanding the financial aid program. It is no secret that without a financial aid program, the student body at Princeton and other private universities would be limited to the small segment of the American population with the ability to pay the high price associated with this education. By broadening the financial aid program, the administration is making an effort to diversify the student body and open doors for qualified students who would otherwise be denied the opportunity to attend Princeton.
Financial affluence should not be a prerequisite for attaining a higher education. Ms. Tornow states that "(Ivy League schools) are buying students and that's what they want to do." Perhaps Ms. Tornow believes that middle or lower class students should be denied freedom of choice in their educational decisions in order that their educational options be restricted to less expensive state universities or to merit scholarship programs such as the one offered at Boston University. This attitude is remarkably selfish.
While state institutions and honors programs provide excellent educational opportunities, they may not be the best choices for every student. Why is Ms. Tornow afraid of allowing students to choose between her University's merit scholarship program and an Ivy League education?
The students affected by the expanded aid program will certainly appreciate the expanded spectrum of choices available to them and the decreased burden that will be placed upon them should they opt to attend Princeton or one of the other institutions which recently increased its financial aid program. Tornow should be ashamed of her selfish attitude in wanting to deny these students the ability to make that choice. Christopher White '99
Traveling Engineers
If the author of the editorial "Ease of Travel" which appeared in The Daily Princetonian on Feb. 9 had checked with the School of Engineering and Applied Science, he or she would have learned that SEAS has been an active participant in discussions about how to increase the number of Princeton students who study abroad.
In recent semesters, engineering students have studied in Australia, New Zealand, Denmark and England. This spring, BSE students are headed for Scotland, China, Australia, Israel and Chile. A meeting during orientation week highlighted study abroad options for engineers. Courses taken abroad by engineers must meet rigorous standards and be compatible with the student's departmental program of study, but the characterization of the School of Engineering and Applied Science as inflexible and discouraging of foreign study is entirely unwarranted. Peter Bogucki Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Affairs School of Engineering and Applied Science
Seating demands
We are writing to publicly urge the Athletics Department to reserve all of the north main floor seats in Jadwin Gym for students for every basketball game.
At the game against Penn on Tuesday, Feb. 17, and at all previous games this semester, student seating on the floor was cut to half its normal size. The other half of the north floor seats were sold to non-students. We understand that this decision was initially made in order to create the illusion of full stands when many fewer students were attending the games. The recent surge in attendance, however, has made this illusion both unnecessary and counterproductive.
If the Athletic Department really wanted to create a "sea of orange" to show our unity and intimidate our opponents, then it shouldn't have taken floor seats away from students for the biggest home game of the year, which always draws a huge student crowd!
Last Tuesday, there were more students at the game than there were seats in the half-size student section. The overflow student crowd was forced into three separate sections of seats all the way up near the roof of the gym. These students would have more than filled the north section, and would have helped create that "sea of orange" desired by the Athletic Department.
If the University wanted to give the Tigers all the support they deserve, students should not have be forced into the seats furthest from the team. Student spirit is strong and Princeton fever will soon be rocking the NCAA. We should have given our team a great send-off by returning all of the north stands to the students. Helen Hickok '98 Liz Arnold '98 David A. Grossman '98
High marks
In response to the ludicrous flap over alleged grade inflation at Old Nassau, I call to attention this headline from the front page of the Feb. 18 New York Times: "Just Because the Grades Are Up, Are Princeton Students Smarter?"
The answer is a thunderous "yes!" Would that the administration is delighted with this pleasant fact of academic life rather than fretting over too many hardworking wretches getting the marks they deserve.
Go tiger A's and B's!! George H. Atkinson Lawrenceville, N.J
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