Columns

No more taking pride in college rankings

There is a lot to be proud of at Princeton. But let’s not indulge in national college rankings that reward colleges for merely serving as refuge for the rich and a jumping-off platform for the less privileged.

There is a lot to be proud of at Princeton. But let us not indulge in national college rankings that reward colleges for merely serving as refuge for the rich and a jumping off platform for the less privileged.

Princeton must create an equitable experience for hijabis using communal bathrooms

“The experience of hijabi students in Princeton’s communal bathrooms points to the broader issue of unequal housing conditions on campus.”

"The experience of hijabi students in Princeton’s communal bathrooms points to the broader issue of unequal housing conditions on campus."

As Princeton expands, mental health care contracts

“Without a more-than-proportional increase in the counseling staff employed at CPS, students’ mental health care needs will continue to be unaddressed at Princeton.”

"Without a more-than-proportional increase in the counseling staff employed at CPS, students’ mental health care needs will continue to be unaddressed at Princeton."

Instead of banning scooters, improve TigerTransit

“Princeton must expand the TigerTransit system where undergrads need it the most: between residential colleges and academic buildings with a central Elm Drive shuttle, as well as between more class locations and athletic practice facilities.”

Princetonians must invest in the marketplace of ideas

"If students start by situating free expression in a liberal context, individual engagement would restore and enliven the marketplace of ideas on campus, enabling a fuller appreciation for the dynamic, invigorating, and fundamentally democratic nature of campus discourse."

"If students start by situating free expression in a liberal context, individual engagement would restore and enliven the marketplace of ideas on campus, enabling a fuller appreciation for the dynamic, invigorating, and fundamentally democratic nature of campus discourse."

Affirmative action’s shortcomings

“Different experiences may lead to different perspectives; even similar experiences may lead to different perspectives. The lives and perspectives of underrepresented minorities vary greatly, and it’s essential not to make assumptions about them.”

"Different experiences may lead to different perspectives; even similar experiences may lead to different perspectives. The lives and perspectives of underrepresented minorities vary greatly, and it's essential not to make assumptions about them."

As Princeton remakes itself, incorporate native plants

“By creating and explaining its vision for an interconnected landscape of gardens filled with food for pollinators and habitat for insects, the University can inspire students, faculty, staff or anyone visiting campus to consider what they can do to create a better habitat for their local fauna.”

“By creating and explaining its vision for an interconnected landscape of gardens filled with food for pollinators and habitat for insects, the University can inspire students, faculty, staff or anyone visiting campus to consider what they can do to create a better habitat for their local fauna.”

We must think more critically about public service

“We need to endeavor to explore more deeply what public service actually means, and how we can be truly effective with the tools our Princeton education gives us.”

"We need to endeavor to explore more deeply what public service actually means, and how we can be truly effective with the tools our Princeton education gives us."

Humanities courses can solve Princeton's civic service problem

"When students do not take courses in the humanities, they miss out on studying works which ask how to determine what it means to be good, and why you should pursue the good. In a climate in which students don’t have the basic ability of interrogating these questions, how could a university expect its students to go forth and creatively serve their nation and humanity at large? Service cannot be reduced to post-graduation careers, but it can be predicted from the quality and type of an education itself."

"When students do not take courses in the humanities, they miss out on studying works which ask how to determine what it means to be good, and why you should pursue the good. In a climate in which students don’t have the basic ability of interrogating these questions, how could a university expect its students to go forth and creatively serve their nation and humanity at large? Service cannot be reduced to post-graduation careers, but it can be predicted from the quality and type of an education itself."

Princeton must install air conditioning as temperatures rise

“Princeton must begin proactively updating its older residential colleges and buildings before worsening climate conditions make the change absolutely necessary.”

“Princeton must begin proactively updating its older residential colleges and buildings before worsening climate conditions make the change absolutely necessary.”

The disgraceful legacy of legacy admissions

“While not explicitly affiliated with identity, legacy admissions, since their inception, have been successfully crafted to exclude minorities — first on the basis of religion, then on the basis of race — and should thus be abolished in our nation’s universities.”

“While not explicitly affiliated with identity, legacy admissions, since their inception, have been successfully crafted to exclude minorities — first on the basis of religion, then on the basis of race — and should thus be abolished in our nation’s universities.”

Princeton alumni seek status, not service

“It is troubling to see little to no action by the University to push for alumni outcomes favoring service, not individualistic financial gain. The administration should develop a comprehensive system that strongly encourages alumni to seek careers that are beneficial to humanity.”

"It is troubling to see little to no action by the University to push for alumni outcomes favoring service, not individualistic financial gain. The administration should develop a comprehensive system that strongly encourages alumni to seek careers that are beneficial to humanity."

Princeton should not grant diplomas to insurrectionists

“Giberson’s behavior clearly implies that he believes in lies and is willing to violently act on them, violating Princeton’s code of conduct and demonstrating that he does not understand Princeton’s emphasis on principled civic engagement. Because of this, the University should not have awarded Larry Giberson a diploma.”

“Giberson’s behavior clearly implies that he believes in lies and is willing to violently act on them, violating Princeton’s code of conduct and demonstrating that he does not understand Princeton’s emphasis on principled civic engagement. Because of this, the University should not have awarded Larry Giberson a diploma.”

Elite universities are not the great equalizers of society

“As Emma Green proposed in her 2020 interview with President Eisgruber ’83, ‘an investment in the elite few is ultimately a less robust vision of justice.’ But this does not make Princeton’s existence, nor its goal of using education to achieve new intellectual and humane heights, unimportant or unattainable.”

“As Emma Green proposed in her 2020 interview with President Eisgruber ’83, ‘an investment in the elite few is ultimately a less robust vision of justice.’ But this does not make Princeton’s existence, nor its goal of using education to achieve new intellectual and humane heights, unimportant or unattainable.”

Class-based affirmative action is not as forward thinking as Princeton’s progressives promise

“Though noble in its cause, class-based affirmative action is an insufficient means of achieving racial diversity. It will not be effective in maintaining racial diversity on campus. And further, it cannot take American racism writ large seriously.”

“Though noble in its cause, class-based affirmative action is an insufficient means of achieving racial diversity. It will not be effective in maintaining racial diversity on campus. And further, it cannot take American racism writ large seriously.”

Colorblind meritocracy is untenable in a country that never cared about equality

“Equality and meritocracy cannot thrive in a country where such things were never the priority in the first place. A lack of affirmative action will only exacerbate this issue.”

“Equality and meritocracy cannot thrive in a country where such things were never the priority in the first place. A lack of affirmative action will only exacerbate this issue.”

Affirmative action has failed to create the diversity universities need

“Limiting what counts to the racial boxes an applicant checks off, as race-based affirmative action does, comes with serious pitfalls for pursuing the vision of diversity that universities owe their students. And the unique experiences that can accompany a student’s racial identity forms just one part of the diversity equation.”

“Limiting what counts to the racial boxes an applicant checks off, as race-based affirmative action does, comes with serious pitfalls for pursuing the vision of diversity that universities owe their students. And the unique experiences that can accompany a student’s racial identity forms just one part of the diversity equation.”

The Committee on Discipline needs reforms

“But its structure is flawed throughout: some involved with the COD have raised concerns around the committee’s impartiality and its structure, and accused students suffer a process which doesn’t adequately accommodate their wellbeing.” 

“But its structure is flawed throughout: some involved with the COD have raised concerns around the committee’s impartiality and its structure, and accused students suffer a process which doesn’t adequately accommodate their wellbeing.”

On Eisgruber's commencement sermon

“His ideologically-tainted polemics debasing the real value of free speech must cease, particularly in situations in which he (implicitly or explicitly) represents the University.”

“His ideologically-tainted polemics debasing the real value of free speech must cease, particularly in situations in which he (implicitly or explicitly) represents the University.”

Minors have a purpose. Don't let administrative obstacles get in the way.

The purpose of introducing new minors to complement the already existing certificate programs should be to increase formal recognition for students who prefer pursuing in-depth study in one department rather than taking a multi-disciplinary approach.

The purpose of introducing new minors to complement the already existing certificate programs should be to increase formal recognition for students who prefer pursuing in-depth study in one department rather than taking a multi-disciplinary approach.