All great writers who have thoughts begin their pieces with quotes from others. So, too, will I quote the timeless classic "High School Musical":
“If you wanna be cool/Follow one simple rule/Don’t mess with the flow, no, no/Stick to the status quo!”
This sentiment is most applicable to our school calendar, particularly regarding final exams. Princeton administrators probably “wanna be cool” by sticking to the same calendar that has existed for centuries of academic excellence. If Michelle Obama ’85, Queen Noor ’73, Jeff Bezos ’86and Sonia Sotomayor ’76took their examinations after break, we certainly should, too. I would even venture to argue that post-winter break finals has, in fact, directly led to their success in life. The ability to write 90-plus pages during reading period must have helped Sotomayor write legal opinions. The ability to recall a semester’s worth of learning after a three- (but sometimes two-) week break must have helped Bezos streamline Amazon’s delivery model. The ability to write an exam in a foreign language, especially after not having class practice time for three or four weeks, must have helped improve Queen Noor's ability to negotiate with world leaders in different languages.
I have written about my views on post-winter break finalsbut have since realized their value. Judging from Facebook statuses, like every good journalist, I can see that many Princeton students are feeling stressed about final papers and exams. However, if these extremely successful alumni could do it, who are we to complain about this exam schedule? It is a timeless part of the Princeton Tradition, newer than Nassau Hall —but older than Princeton’s first coeducational class! —and should be lauded as an important part of our University experience.
In a New York Times article from April 1974, Sotomayor is quoted (albeit on the subject of recruiting Puerto Rican and Chicano faculty members) as saying, “Princeton is following a policy of benign neutrality and is not making substantive efforts to change.” Clearly, Princeton has a policy of “sticking to the status quo,” and it is time that we students realize how important that policy is to our learning. Our University stands strongly on many issues—from the strict“one fruit from the dining hall” policy to our (strange) salute during “Old Nassau” to the Honor Code —and we should appreciate that our University stands for Tradition.
As a student who studied abroad this fall, I experienced the “other” type of calendar: a calendar in which students submit their papers and finish their exams before winter break. I must admit, it was a pleasant experience to enjoy my break feeling sane, well-rested and relaxed. I would even go so far as to say that I have since been “unproductive” by spending my time reading for pleasure instead of for class. However, this is one of the most important aspects of leaving the calendar the way it is: keeping Princetonians on their toes. With midterms due during fall break and spring break, homework assigned during Thanksgiving and finals after winter break, the University is telling us one thing: free time is simply not a part of our Tradition. If we are to be as successful as our alumni, we must stick to Tradition and continue working through all holidays (except, of course, America’s favorite holiday, Intersession!) in order to learn real-world skills.
Without our Tradition, Princeton would crumble. If we are attempting to model ourselves off of the British greats, Oxford and Cambridge, we must stick to our Tradition as fiercely as they: after all, Oxfordstudents still take examinations wearing robes, and Cambridge students cannot walk on the same grass as their professors.
Fellow Princetonians, this is my public apology for my previously dissenting voice, for I had not yet connected the post-winter break finals Tradition with our Princeton Tradition. As the minutes tick by as you sit in Firestone Library or Forbes College, remember this moment as part of Princetonian history. This is not just your stress; it is the Tradition’s stress. This is not just your Dean’s Date final paper; this is the Tradition’s paper. This exam is not just about you; this exam is about Tradition. Join me in celebrating our Tradition —it binds us together, for life, for future lives and forever.
Azza Cohen is a history major fromHighland Park, Ill. She can be reached at accohen@princeton.edu.This is The Daily Princetonian's annual joke issue.Don't forget you can laugh at the news.
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