Minority issues on the 'Street': A place to find the funk

A few weeks ago, I attended a dinner at the Fields Center, at which Cornel West discussed his thoughts on social progress in American society. I had never heard Professor West speak in person before, but was very impressed both by what he had to say and by the way he said it. His speech centered on the critical importance of treating all ideas — and the people putting forth those ideas — with the greatest respect and dignity, and never turning an ideological argument into a personal one. For someone with opinions as controversial as Professor West's this subject held particular importance — one only has to open a copy of a certain Princeton Alumni Weekly to see examples of why the Professor places such emphasis on civility. However, the aspect of his speech that struck me the most occurred at its very end, in which Professor West suggested to his listeners that they must balance their lives, and continue to "find the funk" by partying every week as long as they diligently studied. This maxim was a perfect example of West's unique style, and caused the crowd to applaud wildly. Then something strange happened. Someone stood up and boldly declared "we don't have anywhere to party at Princeton!" What was even stranger is that his comments were immediately echoed by even more raucous applause. This caused me (and Professor West) some consternation, as it seems like there are eleven perfectly good places to find a good time on the weekends, open to people all over Princeton. However, there seemed to be a virtual consensus in the Fields Center, at least among the minority students. This begs the question — is "The Street" an open place for everyone, or is it closed to minorities? Even if it is not expressly racist, why is there a widespread perception among minorities that the Street is so inhospitable?

In my view, when students (including myself) first get to Princeton, the Street seems like a challenge. It seems that most freshmen are "outgunned" at the Street, without passes or friends in clubs. However, most band together and head out anyway, since there is little alternative to find a good time. People find friends in their repeated visits, and develop favorite destinations among the clubs. Eventually one joins a club along with friends and (hopefully) everyone lives happily ever after. So why would such a large group of people seem to be so disillusioned with the system that so many use to great success?

Admittedly, this was one group of people in the Fields Center, and although they were mostly of African American descent, many Caucasian people at Princeton do not like the Street either. Nevertheless, there seemed to be an inherent racial undertone to the objection that these students were making to the Street. So is it racial? Being half-Asian and half-Caucasian, I belong to a minority group which is much more rare at Princeton than any group represented by a "race bubble" on the application, a group which might only have a few dozen members (if that) on campus. In fact, when I tried to indicate to the administration that I am of mixed race, they didn't know how to handle it and asked me to "pick one." However, my experiences with the Street have been very positive, unlike some of those voicing their frustration to West. For me, being a "minority" has not affected the way I go to the Street one bit. The eating clubs are not institutionally racist, as they cannot admit or deny people based on background. My club, Colonial, is open to anyone with a Princeton University ID, with a few special nights requiring a pass. While some clubs might require a pass every night they are open (which is a topic in itself), no club is going to turn away someone because of their race. Most clubs are sign-in, rather than selective. In these clubs it is completely up to chance who gets in and who doesn't. Often, everyone gets in as the club does not fill up.

Of course, there are racist people at Princeton, and there is no way to change this, or even control it in any direct way. In many clubs, racism is not a problem in the least, and the more people at the party, the merrier. At these clubs, everyone is equally free to "find the funk" at Prospect.

In approaching the Street, one has to make a decision. One either has to believe that it is full of people who only associate with people outwardly similar to themselves, or that there are many people who choose friends regardless of differences in ethnic background. The best suggestion that I can make is for everyone is to give the eating club system a fair chance despite any skepticism. Separation of minorities and non-minorities at Princeton makes no sense, no matter whether it is in the classroom, dormitories, or at the party scene. I would suggest that everyone wanting to party should travel with a group of their friends to the Street, no matter what background they're from. There are several clubs with desperately low membership that could be joined en-masse by students wishing for a place full of friends. The Street is ultimately about having fun and interacting with friends, not about race. There continues to be a stigma surrounding the clubs that largely has to do with Princeton's segregated past, not integrated present (and future). It seems that some of the responsibility to integrating the Street now largely rests with the people who wish to be integrated themselves. In order for the Street to be welcoming to all students, all students must come out and be welcomed in turn. David Sillers is a politics major from Potomac, Md. He can be reached at dsillers@princeton.edu.