Letters to the Editor

Campus debate on intellectualism reflects national, cultural trends

I read with interest Patrick Deneen's call for the faculty to contribute more to the university's level of intellectual discourse.

While I agree that more faculty involvement on campus might alleviate some of the intellectual flatness of undergraduate life, I think he neglects to point out a broader pattern in academia. The main problem is not the balance between campus involvement, on the one hand, and the publishing and conference circuit, on the other. Rather, it is the content of much that passes for intellectual life in academia today. If undergraduate life suffers from the pre-professional "organization kid," then faculty and graduate student life suffers from the careerism of professionalized academia. With the odd heartening exception, most academics today do not work on topics purely out of intellectual interest and/or a belief in their importance to the world at large. They follow the well-worn rut of writing on what is fashionable, conformist and above all safe. How many Princeton graduate students choose dissertation topics, or junior faculty members their next book topic, because they have something to say rather than having to say something that will go over well with the next search committee they face? While the strongest pressures affect graduate students and pre-tenure junior faculty, the distorted habits that this narrow conformity breeds linger a lifetime. Indeed, few accomplished intellectuals of the past would recognize today's academics as engaged in the same activity.

Intellectual life in one sphere spills over into others. In this case, it reinforces what is happening among undergraduates. My intent is not to blame ever wider parts of the campus community for the anti-intellectualism problem — though I do welcome Deneen's effort to broaden the issue. I merely point out that Princeton's intellectual atmosphere reflects a broader cultural trend, in which comfort and complacency have crowded out imagination and vitality. Any effort to roll the disease back is to be encouraged, of course. Yet I fear that given patterns in academic life the world over, such efforts will have at best a marginal impact. Adam K. Webb Lecturer, Department of Politics

As campus 'spirit' wanes, University should teach history of Princeton

I attended the Penn-Princeton football game last week, and was unbelievably disgusted. The Princeton student section was pathetic. For an institution that supposedly prides itself on "school spirit" and "being the best," that was HORRIBLE. There were two signs, and about as much fan enthusiasm as . . . well, something without much enthusiasm. My question is: Why?

The first answer that came to my mind was that our football team sucks. Yes, this is true. Penn came out, used us every possible way they could think of, and then tossed us aside when they were done. So, you figure, why bother going to watch? But that's not the point. When our squad is getting their butts handed to them, use the game as a forum to tell Penn how much they suck at everything else they do.

"Congratulations, you scored 44 points on us. The fact still remains that your basketball team is overrated, and that without Wharton you would be a safety school for people who apply to the University of Pittsburgh." Sure, this may be a little wordy to put in a chant, but I think "Penn sucks!" basically sums it up (and depending on the team we play, feel free to substitute "Penn" with "Yale" or "Hahvahd").

The administration needs to relax a little with the eight billion mandatory freshman orientation meetings that half the class couldn't care less about and install one teaching the history and traditions behind the school. Some of the meetings are definitely necessary, concerning important topics such as fire safety and alcohol awareness. However, having mandatory readings and discussions for the entire freshman class on "The Feminine Mystique" to prove how "open-minded" Princeton really is takes it a little too far. Replace "The Feminine Mystique" with a discussion of rivalries, traditions, and a teaching of the fight song.

Instill some school pride. We know we're better, they know we're better, but it never hurts to remind them. Let's stand up and let them know how we feel about them. Screw all this polite applause. For God's sake, people, we're not Harvard. A Disgusted Tiger