Letters to the Editor

Junior Paper 'molehill' cannot compare to senior thesis 'mountain'

In response to John Lurz's opinion piece "Reflections on pre-JP life," these two seniors would like to retort with a similar dose of academic reality. With all due respect to Mr. Lurz, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Tours of Princeton point out that in order to graduate all AB students must complete a senior thesis. They definitely gloss over this aspect of your education, as do seniors in extreme denial, claiming that this "culminating experience" in your academic life "wasn't all that bad."

Get real. Not only does the second semester of senior thesis work tend to dominate Every topic at meals, Every second of your thoughts, and Every aspect of your Princeton life, it also manages to rob you of much of your ability to be an interesting person. Granted, there are many people who manage to compress this feeling into a few hellish weeks. But even these people (especially these people) will acknowledge that they could churn out an "A" caliber JP in approximately 18 hours. Even your advisor would tell you that a 25 page paper should not take more than two weeks (including research and revisions). If it does, you should seriously reconsider your efficiency skills.

John, your worst fears about Princeton have not even begun to be realized. One of the writers of this response even had a letter published about leading a balanced life, including making time for fun. Be prepared to give up those ideals. Freshmen, please do not be scared about the first three years of your academic life. Reserve all dread for senior spring. We're serious. John, you're trying not to be "condescending," and we understand that it's difficult to strike a balance between valuable advice and talking down. But there's no way that your preaching from the small hill you stand on could ever match the Everest-like soap box on which most seniors stand. Larkin Moore '02 Sarah Gee '02

Nassau Weekly deceit was simply a 'pitiful publicity ploy

The Nassau Weekly's latest antics amount to nothing more than a pitiful publicity ploy ("'Nass' obscured staff turmoil with deceit," April 29). Now that its staff admits to "lying compulsively" when it announced last week that it was folding due to internal disputes, we should question their veracity about whether there is even a dispute at all.

The "Nass" has a history of publishing profanity-filled pages of puerile and misogynistic content. Given this, their protestations that the idea of printing a "10 most beautiful undergraduate women" feature is the brainchild of a few rogue staffers strike me as utterly spurious.

Of course, this is not the first time that the "Nass" has resorted to such a ruse. A few weeks ago, the "Nass" announced that its viability was threatened by its fiscal recklessness. The Dean of Undergraduate Students rewarded this announcement with a generous pledge of support, and countless dupes showed up at the Terrace Club for a benefit event.

The "Nass" is able to get away with such stunts because campus publications are not held accountable as they would be in the real world. Sophisticated consumers would reject publications that make such abysmal attempts at attracting attention, and so should we. Unless the "Nass" stops crying wolf, reports of their demise may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Eric Wang '02