Rather than trying to “sell” Princeton and build up freshman year as the best time of our lives, the University needs to give equal weight to demystifying the unspoken struggles of the freshman experience.
I used to cry for hours because I said I didn’t know how to make friends. “That’s silly,” my friends would scoff. “You’ve made plenty of friends before.” “That’s true,” I agreed. “But that was before people really started to drink.”
"Shall the undergraduates direct the USG Senate to establish a standing committee that works with the Interclub Council to annually collect and release demographic information, such as race, gender, and academic major, about the members of each Eating Club, and additionally, for each selective (‘bicker’) Club, its applicants (‘bickerees’)?"
I’ve never heard Catalonia being discussed so much here as I have in the past few weeks. My parents are from Barcelona, and I lived there for a bit, so I’d like to offer my view on the Catalan procés so far. As a disclaimer, I am pro-independence; however, I will not be arguing for independence. Instead, I want to discuss how the process has been carried out so far, and why President Rajoy and government in Madrid are currently in the wrong.
I looked down at the shiny metal serving platters in front of me, one which had a piece of paper that read “Filet Mignon” and another one that said “Ratatouille”. Considering that I had to look up how to spell these words to write this article, it was obvious to me that I was far, far away from home – in every sense of the word.
Walking while using my phone invariably leaves me disoriented, as I cannot devote my full attention to either task. Once I reach my destination, I often cannot even recall the physical steps I took to get there. Several days ago, I looked up from my phone to find myself on a collision course with a passing cyclist. With a hasty “sorry,” I stumbled out of her way, embarrassed to have slipped into such inattention.
The Oct. 1 referendum on Catalan independence made headlines, but not because of its result. As the CNN reported, “some 893 people were injured as riot police raided polling stations, dragged away voters, and fired rubber bullets during clashes.” International media published videos showing Spanish policemen beating people up, from teenagers to old ladies. Nonetheless, about 42 percent of Catalans managed to vote, and among those, 92 percent voted to secede from Spain.
Toxic masculinity brings out the worst in men and damages the community at all levels. Let’s reclaim what is positive and healthy about male identity and reject unhelpful stereotypes. Let’s give men something to be proud of.
The philosophy that Princetonians need is one of self-compassion; to love and accept themselves, flaws and all, and to recognize that failure is an inevitable and necessary aspect of the Princeton experience. The difference may seem trivial, but these are two fundamentally different approaches to building resilience.
There is no one way to dress like a feminist. Prescribing that you own your sexuality is no more liberated than recommending that you keep your body covered up.
We refer to Princeton as the Orange Bubble, but it’s more than that. A bubble implies transparency, allowing its occupants to view, if not inhabit, the outside world. But Princeton is more pervasive and concrete than just a bubble.
In our words of disagreement, we can at least choose to exercise a little human empathy for our neighbors and fellow community members to maintain cordiality.
After the recent ad hominem attacks I received in response to my last column, I have decided to write on something less controversial: Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ recent revocation of part of the Obama administration’s Title IX guidance. Oh, wait, sorry: I meant more controversial.
"I don't remember much about the time we crossed the border," says Johana Leanos '21, "but my sister tells me there were about six people in each trunk."
The underage drinking law isn't perfect. It could use some simple reforms, like the reduction of punishments in favor of treatment. But it has saved lives. A lower drinking age has deadly consequences for young Americans.
Another Bicker season has come and gone, leaving some students overjoyed and some crushed. For some of those students, bickering was a way to increase their social status, to be part of a club that everyone wants to get into. During the year, the thought of Bicker nags constantly in the recesses of their minds. Students actively try to hang out with members of clubs, even at the expense of their old friend groups. Every social interaction with a member of a selective club is just that more important, that more consequential. But I’m willing to wager that most students who bickered, like me, were just looking to be able to eat with their friends.
Athletes on our campus should be encouraged to embrace their free speech rights to protest, rather than to separate their athletic career from their beliefs. While Trump encouraged NFL owners to fire protestors, the administration should commit to protect student-athlete protesters and make these commitments clear.
