Higher level hosting

The Editorial Board made several suggestions to the Princeton Preview program, and I think one of them in particular is relevant here: host involvement. Last year, I signed up to host, expecting to have a lot of responsibility. When I heard about a show Princeton University Players was putting on, I was apprehensive to play a part in it for fear it would conflict with my hosting duties. I was so excited to be the perfect host. I was going to answer all their questions, show them around campus and “earn my stripes” like my host did for me. When I went to the Princeton Preview meeting, I learned the actual extent of my responsibilities: Show up at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, put a sticker on a board and show the prefrosh the place on your floor that he would be occupying. I left the meeting feeling that it was regrettable that this is the only required interaction between prefrosh and students.

As it stands now, with little to no student involvement, prefrosh are forced to interact mostly with other prefrosh. Yes, they do go to events with students, but those iconic tight-knit groups of prefrosh are a result of spending most, if not all, of their time with other prefrosh. This behavior leads them to see the school only from the perspective of other prefrosh, which is probably the worst possible way to try to understand a school. Many are nervous and feel as if they don’t belong, so they compensate by trying to outdo each other, most egregiously with talk of SAT scores. But how can you get a feel for the spirit of this campus by interacting solely with people who are just as new to it as you are?

Someone suggested to me that perhaps this could be remedied if the prefrosh removed their lanyards and hid every trace of their “prefrosh-ness,” to blend in and experience the culture. Setting aside the fact that you can spot a bewildered prefrosh from a mile away regardless of the lanyard, it is much easier to understand a community by interacting with its members than it is by merely observing it. Save for the really overzealous ones, prefrosh are not likely to randomly approach students. (In fact, most students, after freshman week, are unlikely to randomly approach other students.) So the prefrosh can’t be expected to be able to get a glimpse of the community — it is the responsibility of the students. Students should therefore be encouraged by the Princeton Preview program to take a larger, formal or informal, role in the experience of their prefrosh.

But maybe the role of students can’t be enlarged because it’s hard enough to get students to volunteer as it is. In truth, it is a little pathetic that Princeton Preview has to work so hard to get students involved even to the small extent that they currently are. I understand there are many students who are apprehensive about having someone sleeping in what already might be a cramped room, but I think it’s unfortunate that the rest of us require an army of Preview captains, an extensive ad campaign and coupons to Thomas Sweet to coax us into hosting a prefrosh. This program gives students the opportunity to shape the incoming class. My roommate and I had a long conversation with one of my friend’s super-cool prefrosh last year, and she decided to come to Princeton, at least in part (I hope) because of us.

So in a few days, when our campus is flooded with wide-eyed 17-year-olds, spend a little time and get to know a few of them. You can represent the school you (hopefully) love to students in a way that informs their college decisions. You can find ones you like and keep a tally with your friends over who got the most to matriculate. At the very least, you are doing the prefrosh a huge favor by preventing them from potentially making the worst decision of their life — going to Harvard or Yale.

Luke Massa is a sophomore from Ridley Park, Pa. He can be reached at lmassa@princeton.edu.