Columns

Princeton, you’ll be OK without us: a response to Penn’s proud legacy opinion

Photo from previous coverage of The Daily Princetonian

Princeton, you’ll be OK without us: a response to Penn’s proud legacy opinion

Rachel Kennedy

I am the seventh person in my family to attend Princeton. The surprise that comes across many faces when they hear this from a black woman cuts down on a bit of my embarrassment. But not nearly all of it. I have benefited from a system that perpetuates tokenism and the myth of American exceptionalism. That’s an embarrassing fact.

OPINION | 10/24/2019

A case for reading

Kate Lee

Printed on a pair of socks in Labyrinth Bookstore is “so many books, so little time.” It’s a cute, positive sentiment: when you love books, the pile to read seems endless and exciting. But when I passed it last week, the phrase hit home differently.

OPINION | 10/24/2019

On ‘wasting time’

On ‘wasting time’

Sebastian Quiroz

Midterms are a stressful time for us all. Because of that, I think it is important to remember that the time spent not studying can be just as valuable as the time spent studying.

OPINION | 10/24/2019

Asians in the "White Castle": Why diversity in Hollywood matters

Asians in the "White Castle": Why diversity in Hollywood matters

Richard Ma

Asians still often fulfill quiet stereotypes as the submissive model minority. Though recent and upcoming films such as Crazy Rich Asians and Marvel’s Shang-Chi are a breath of fresh air, both still rely upon well-worn Asian conceptions of tiger mothers or martial arts.

OPINION | 10/22/2019

There is no division between sports and politics

Julia Chaffers

“Politics” is not some abstract term, some definable thing we can cordon off in one corner of society. “Politics” encompasses everything in our lives, and touches everything we do.

OPINION | 10/22/2019

Easy for you to say

Easy for you to say

Leora Eisenberg

Pay attention to your words. What do you call easy? And who are the people around you? Consider that they might not be as good at math, languages, or hiking as you — and that they might, in fact, consider these things very hard.

OPINION | 10/20/2019

A response to anti-Semitism

A response to anti-Semitism

Esther Levy

This isn't a matter of prolonging or dragging out a story. It's about standing up against discrimination, even if that discrimination manifests itself in a way that is uncomfortable for us to talk about.

OPINION | 10/20/2019

Sadfishing and moral responsibility in the Orange Bubble

Sadfishing and moral responsibility in the Orange Bubble

AG McGee

When our inboxes and feeds are flooded with triggering material by both altruistic outreaches and self-interested campaigns, even basic tasks such as checking emails can turn into unsafe spaces — both for those who may be triggered and for an average onlooker.

OPINION | 10/17/2019

On lectures and tutorials

On lectures and tutorials

Sebastian Quiroz

Smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with students, and — perhaps controversially — more writing would all go a long way in making us an even better university than we already are. But all of this should be done cautiously. Overcorrecting might prove to create more harm than good.

OPINION | 10/17/2019

A post-Brexit world

Kaveh Badrei

Our world is one of inherently interconnected parts. Rather than embrace isolation, we must look towards international cooperation as the means of global peace and prosperity for the future.

OPINION | 10/16/2019

The dangers of quantification

A grey and brick building with reflective window at dusk sits behind a large abstract grey and orange sculpture.

The dangers of quantification

Claire Wayner

There are certainly benefits to statistics and dollar amounts – they help us make quick assessments of the worth of a project or the costs of certain actions. Yet it is also up to us to constantly remember what is lost in the quantification process and to learn to recognize and communicate those losses when we can.

OPINION | 10/16/2019

Where are all the women? Part two

Where are all the women? Part two

Madeleine Marr

I want to believe that Princeton is only a slow-moving system, not a malicious one. I hope that by pointing out where the University can do better, the administration will prove that it wants to — and will take the steps to make those intentions a reality.

OPINION | 10/15/2019

Those we see

Those we see

Juan José López Haddad

Princeton students in the search for meaning in our work — meaning that goes far beyond getting a profitable job or a stable position — need to see the faces of those who have found that meaning.

OPINION | 10/15/2019

A response from Norman Finkelstein GS ’87

Guest Contributor

The Daily Princetonian states that I delivered “anti-Semitic remarks” at a panel on black and Palestinian solidarity. This is a most serious allegation. But is it true?

OPINION | 10/15/2019

Do you want to be woke? Look to 1940s cinema

Do you want to be woke? Look to 1940s cinema

“Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947), directed by Elia Kazan, predated “To Kill a Mockingbird” by some 15 years, yet, provides a more comprehensive introduction to the concept of systemic racism than any other film — contemporary or otherwise.

OPINION | 10/15/2019

Take a gap year

Take a gap year

Jae-Kyung Sim

A gap year is precisely the opportunity to gain a greater sense of purpose and to get to know yourself better. It’s not just introspection you could be doing with a whole year. You could perhaps travel to other locations, spend time with family, or complete a couple of internships in areas of work that you were interested in but never dared to explore during the summers — summers that were generally reserved for more prestigious tech/finance/consulting internships. One year of break will not only prepare you better for Princeton but also broadly for your career path and life.

OPINION | 10/14/2019

Letter from Whig-Clio student leaders regarding the visit of Amy Wax

Letter from Whig-Clio student leaders regarding the visit of Amy Wax

Guest Contributor

Decisions regarding the re-invitation of Wax are and have always been out of our hands. We condemn the idea that we owe professional courtesy to a white supremacist. However, given both the Trustees’ absolute control over Whig-Clio’s budget decisions and the ephemerality of student leadership relative to the Trustees’ long-lasting tenures, a disinvitation from us would be futile.

OPINION | 10/13/2019

What 1973 tells us about Amy Wax’s visit tomorrow

What 1973 tells us about Amy Wax’s visit tomorrow

Jon Ort

Forty-six years ago, students wrestled with a similar, though far more incendiary, quandary after Whig-Clio agreed to host a debate between Roy Innis, then-director of the national Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and William Shockley, a eugenicist who believed that race determined intelligence and a 1956 Nobel laureate in physics.

OPINION | 10/11/2019

Princeton’s great British divide

Liam O'Connor

Over the Classes of 2019–2023, more students came from Greater London than the rest of the United Kingdom, combined.

OPINION | 10/10/2019

The protection of affirmative action isn’t enough

The protection of affirmative action isn’t enough

Kate Lee

In many ways, it was a victory. A great moment of relief. At least for the time being, it seems that the accessibility of minority students to elite colleges has been protected. However, even as the case might possibly move up in the legal system, the discussion about admissions should not end at affirmative action.

OPINION | 10/10/2019

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