Opinion

Princeton students, take your advocacy directly to the administration

Students have to be deliberate and engaged in their efforts to work with the administration on the changes they want to see instituted.

Students have to be deliberate and engaged in their efforts to work with the administration on the changes they want to see instituted.

End the conversation

For decades, if not centuries, well-known academics have traveled the country, giving lectures at universities and having spontaneous intellectual dialogues with students, faculty, and community members in attendance. This process allows them to develop their ideas, while simultaneously giving the audience a chance to engage with them critically.

For decades, if not centuries, well-known academics have traveled the country, giving lectures at universities and having spontaneous intellectual dialogues with students, faculty, and community members in attendance. This process allows them to develop their ideas, while simultaneously giving the audience a chance to engage with them critically.

Sam Wang tried to silence us. We’re not going anywhere.

Wang’s attempt to invalidate our participation reveals his willingness to sacrifice democratic principles for political gain. 

Wang’s attempt to invalidate our participation reveals his willingness to sacrifice democratic principles for political gain. 

For proctors to work, students need a say

The Editorial Board is united in arguing that undergraduate students must be involved in any changes to our honor system. Moving forward, the University has the opportunity to right its wrongs — it is not too late to seriously solicit the perspectives of students prior to enacting a proctor system.

The Board is united in the belief that undergraduate students must be involved in any changes to our honor system. Moving forward, the University has the opportunity to right its wrongs — it is not too late to seriously solicit the perspectives of students prior to enacting a proctor system.

Why don’t we have retroactive pass/D/fail?

In short, the choice to PDF a class comes down to students’ ability to speculate about their performance thus far and anticipate their potential to succeed in the coming three weeks, forcing students to gamify their own and their classmates’ ability in a way that is entirely unnecessary and that detracts from their ability to simply enjoy the material and challenge of a class. 

In short, the choice to PDF a class comes down to students’ ability to speculate about their performance thus far and anticipate their potential to succeed in the coming three weeks, forcing students to gamify their own and their classmates’ ability in a way that is entirely unnecessary and that detracts from their ability to simply enjoy the material and challenge of a class.

A case for the Honor Committee

Concerns over academic integrity and the wish to call out offenders among the student body continue to be prevalent, voiced without guilt in an informal setting. Fundamentally, we are still committed to academic integrity, even if the ostensibly punitive nature of the Honor Code seems to get in the way of our predominant moral commitments. 

Concerns over academic integrity and the wish to call out offenders among the student body continue to be prevalent, voiced without guilt in an informal setting. Fundamentally, we are still committed to academic integrity, even if the ostensibly punitive nature of the Honor Code seems to get in the way of our predominant moral commitments. 

Unity yes, Sliwa no

As important as the sentiment of unity is, we must be cautious of achieving the seemingly noble end of bipartisan acceptance through the tactics and advocacy advanced by Curtis Sliwa. Two flaws accompany an embrace of unity through Sliwa’s messaging, characterized by the nature of Sliwa’s Republicanism and the dangers of populism.

Humanistic study at Princeton is doing just fine

Despite the formidable hygienic challenges posed by several events on campus, Princeton faces a far greater threat from recent political polemics against the University’s humanities education. Still, despite allegations of problems with education at the University, there is much reason to believe that the humanities at Princeton are alive and well. 

Despite the formidable hygienic challenges posed by several events on campus, Princeton faces a far greater threat from recent political polemics against the University’s humanities education. Still, despite allegations of problems with education at the University, there is much reason to believe that the humanities at Princeton are alive and well. 

The problem with the ADL’s ‘report card’

The ADL is not — nor should it be — the sole arbiter of what qualifies as antisemitism. In fact, the ADL’s definition of antisemitism creates problems for Jews in a broader sense: While the organization explains that criticism of Israel’s government is not antisemitic, they also state that language that demonizes or delegitimizes the state does count as antisemitism. 

The ADL is not — nor should it be — the sole arbiter of what qualifies as antisemitism. In fact, the ADL’s definition of antisemitism creates problems for Jews in a broader sense: While the organization explains that criticism of Israel’s government is not antisemitic, they also state that language that demonizes or delegitimizes the state does count as antisemitism. 

Princeton’s cultural festivals deserve a place in lecture halls

Cultural festivals provide food and entertainment, but each performance and meal offers only a brief snapshot and glimpse into a potential culture. And if a performance does generate interest, there’s no place for that interest to go.

Cultural festivals provide food and entertainment, but each performance and meal offers only a brief snapshot and glimpse into a potential culture. And if a performance does generate interest, there’s no place for that interest to go.

Abolish Ivy Day

When a student is receiving up to eight high-stakes decisions in the same day, they may not be able to separate and process each decision. The University should strive to release decisions earlier to be fair to its applicants.

When a student is receiving up to eight high-stakes decisions in the same day, they may not be able to separate and process each decision. The University should strive to release decisions earlier to be fair to its applicants.

Continue funding access and opportunity

Reducing funding for EBCAO, especially alongside layoffs and program restructuring elsewhere, would disproportionately affect students — both Princeton and transfer — who already face systemic barriers.

Reducing funding for EBCAO, especially alongside layoffs and program restructuring elsewhere, would disproportionately affect students — both Princeton and transfer — who already face systemic barriers.

Gender dynamics inform our intellectual experience, whether we know it or not

We must directly address and explore gender’s impact on the classroom rather than leave it to fester, visibly or invisibly, in an effort to deny its existence in the first place. 

We must directly address and explore gender’s impact on the classroom rather than leave it to fester, visibly or invisibly, in an effort to deny its existence in the first place. 

The N.J.-12 congressional race isn’t worth our precious time

A crowded race where any one voter’s preferred candidate is extremely unlikely to win isn’t the best outlet for our limited political energies; the attention on this primary doesn’t mean it deserves a monopoly over our political consciousness. Instead, we should focus on being effective constituents of the polities to which we belong: Princeton’s campus and our home districts. 

I was the Honor Committee chair. It’s time for proctors.

For years, the Committee has had conversations about introducing proctors into exam rooms, to serve as another potential witness and reporter — and the time has finally come to take this step.

For years, the Committee has had conversations about introducing proctors into exam rooms, to serve as another potential witness and reporter — and the time has finally come to take this step.

Don’t ban e-bikes

There is a path to keeping e-bikes while still ensuring pedestrian safety. A set of regulatory policies and enforcements can allow students to ride e-bikes while keeping pedestrians safe.

There is a path to keeping e-bikes while still ensuring pedestrian safety. A set of regulatory policies and enforcements can allow students to ride e-bikes while keeping pedestrians safe.

Stop avoiding a liberal arts education

The motivation behind general education requirements should be to ensure that students gain foundational knowledge across a wide range of fields and methodologies rather than float through surface-level exploration for the purposes of fulfilling requirements. 

The motivation behind general education requirements should be to ensure that students gain foundational knowledge across a wide range of fields and methodologies rather than float through surface-level exploration for the purposes of fulfilling requirements. 

Princeton needs a campus pub now more than ever

Now that students aren’t being placed in eating clubs, there is a larger need for third spaces on campus, making the present as ripe a time as ever for Princeton to re-establish a bar in the basement of Chancellor Green.

Now that students aren’t being placed in eating clubs, there is a larger need for third spaces on campus, making the present as ripe a time as ever for Princeton to re-establish a bar in the basement of Chancellor Green.

Princeton, no more half-measures

Half-measures are never a satisfactory response to any issue, but they are especially dangerous for the University in our present times. The University must do better to live up to its responsibilities to its students and community. 

Half-measures are never a satisfactory response to any issue, but they are especially dangerous for the University in our present times. The University must do better to live up to its responsibilities to its students and community. 

Midterms shouldn’t be scarier than finals: cut back on exam content

Including students in the process of reevaluating midterms isn’t an invitation for students to complain about exams being too hard. Instead, it’s an opportunity for students to express whether the questions, length, and format of the exam allowed them to perform to the best of their abilities and prove what they have learned.

Including students in the process of reevaluating midterms isn’t an invitation for students to complain about exams being too hard. Instead, it’s an opportunity for students to express whether the questions, length, and format of the exam allowed them to perform to the best of their abilities and prove what they have learned.