Opinion

U. endowment: Legitimately earned and rightfully kept

Two events have recently made the University’s endowment a subject of debate: the GOP tax plan proposal and the release of the Paradise Papers. Together, these highlight the multifaceted controversy over how universities handle their billion-dollar endowments and how the government moderates that use. On one hand, University officials expressed formal opposition to the proposed taxes on the grounds that the endowment funds academic work and financial aid, and on the other, Princeton and others have drawn criticism precisely for employing funds in offshore investment.

Honoring service and sacrifice

 Joining the military is a noble way to serve the nation. While one may disagree with the political reasons behind various wars, a soldier's primary duty is — as mentioned in the oath of enlistment — to, "support and defend the Constitution of the United States." They risk their lives to protect the document that secures our freedoms and democratic government. For this reason, the University should help more of the veterans who have protected our rights. 

Campus intertwined with morally problematic donor, renaming not the solution

The Sackler family, donors of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at the University Museum, has recently been surrounded in controversy for their involvement in the opioid industry and the development of OxyContin. The emergence of reports describing the family’s role in promoting the drug, prominent in the opioid crisis that causes over 1,000 American fatalities a week, has resurfaced debates at the University regarding donor stipulations and moral obligations. 

The Thanks-Giving Break Tree

Stop co-opting social justice language: A response to “Hypocrisy of campus protesters”

Rather than think of Berman’s article as a critique of hypocrisy in campus protests, we can reasonably understand it as an appeal to conservative ideals while hiding behind social justice language and employing Islamophobic and racist rhetoric.   

Friendly Reminder

Terminate the professor who committed sexual harassment

I cannot fathom how Princeton might struggle to replace sexual harassers. Surely the University can find faculty with not just high academic standards, but also acceptable moral ones. 

The hypocrisy of campus protesters

The irony of Sarsour's being invited to speak at the University’s Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding is not lost on me. Every American should be offended by Sarsour. Yet the answer isn’t to ban her. More than ever, free speech is critical on campus. Although Sarsour’s arguments are indefensible, the bigotry and prejudice that she espouses will only be eradicated with dedicated and rigorous discourse. 

Beware tech triumphalism

Technology is a tool to improve society but shouldn’t be idolized. It is a means and not an end. Unless we think critically about what purpose we are building towards, we may find ourselves inventing things that would be better off not existing. History is rife with examples of technology going wrong or even being used to advance death and destruction, from the A-bomb to Zyklon B. Furthermore, there are some things that technology may never be able to do. I am skeptical that an app will ever cure depression or heal racial divides. We should not approach technology unquestioningly, but rather with a balance of both hope and realism about its limitations. 

To commit to our mission the University must require study abroad

In my six-week Global Seminar experience in Cuba, I felt challenged in ways I never had during my first two years on campus. I was constantly placed in situations beyond my comfort zone: navigating the language barrier, understanding religious ceremonies, being perceived as a clear outsider for the first time in my life. But the fact that the course was a Princeton program provided a comfortable community to share all of these experiences. I learned while being mentored and was challenged alongside my peers. Having grown so significantly, both personally and academically, in only a half-semester, I cannot imagine my Princeton experience without this international component. 

Letter to the Editor: Sexual harassment in electrical engineering

When an advisor sexually harasses a student, that student has no good options. If a student pushes back, they must worry about the potential far-reaching impact on their career, and they may have to change research fields entirely. We must adopt a zero-tolerance policy, where violation equals termination. 

Letter to the Editor: SHARE statement on Title IX

For the foreseeable future, Princeton, bound by its voluntary agreement with the Office of Civil Rights, will continue to operate under the preponderance of the evidence standard, will complete each investigation within 60 calendar days of receiving a complaint, and will not allow for mediation or informal resolution between a complainant and a respondent. DeVos’s changes, however, reflect the Department of Education’s changing views on Title IX, and may foreshadow future guidelines that would affect Princeton’s policies. 

Amazon in Newark: Response to Max Grear

I do not think it is necessarily fair to say that President Eisgruber “sides by default with the political agenda of those who place corporate special interests over the public good.” 

Letter to the Editor: The GOP tax plan will cripple graduate programs

Princeton graduate students could see their tax bills skyrocket to $11,000 or more if the Republican tax bill currently under consideration in the House of Representatives becomes law. 

Princeton students are not risk-averse

Princeton experiences are shaped by exploring passions and interests as much as the University allows, while careers come into play naturally almost as if they’re afterthoughts.

Prepare for the worst

At a recent Goldman Sachs information session, I asked the recruiter, "In the event that I join the firm shortly before a recession, what are the chances that I will keep my job?"

Ultimate Winter Fashion

What does Harvey Weinstein have to teach us?

Weinstein’s long history of harassment and assault was an “open secret” in Hollywood. People knew something was deeply wrong, and they did nothing. It’s a case study in the long, slow failure of bystander intervention. That’s the third tough truth: in a situation where women feared speaking out, men in particular found it easy to keep quiet and look away while Weinstein kept on. Quentin Tarantino has admitted he knew about Weinstein from firsthand accounts: he’s ashamed he did nothing, and has called on other men of power and influence to “do better by our sisters.” 

The symbols of our politics

More and more, the political environment of the United States has become concerned with symbols. In this environment, great questions of morality, justice, progress, and even philosophy are infused into national dialogue through symbology. Symbols appear on both sides of the political spectrum, emanating not only from the leaders in our democracy, but also the voices of the people. The symbols are not pictures or logos, nor insignias or crests; these symbols are the actions, the decisions, the conduct, and the ultimate successes and failures of our political system entirely. 

Why does McCosh (the lecture hall) suck

In an age of expansive building renovations, from the new Lewis Arts Center to the restoration of the University Chapel’s roof, one building stands out for its sheer obstinate age, lack of comfort, and indelible presence in the academic careers of most undergraduates. I am referring, of course, to McCosh Hall. My simple question is: why does McCosh suck?