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Tuesday april 5, 2016 vol. cxl no. 40
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } U N I V E R S I T Y A F FA I R S
Motto will change, name will stay
Despite moves toward diversity and inclusion, students are concerned about a lack of actionable language. By Amber Park contributor
COURTESY OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
The controversy on Woodrow WIlson’s legacy amplified last November.
The University Board of Trustees announced Monday morning that it had approved recommendations from the Wilson Legacy Committee’s report. Included among the decisions was that the Wilson School and Wilson College will continue to be named after Woodrow Wilson, Class of 1879, and that the University will change its informal motto. Other approved recommendations include establishing a pipeline program to encourage more underrepresented students to pursue doctoral degrees and diversifying campus art. The committee also recommended designating a Special Committee on Diversity and Inclusion within the board’s Executive Committee to oversee these actions. Brent Henry ’69, vice chair
U N I V E R S I T Y A F FA I R S
of the board who chaired the committee, explained that the committee collectively decided on its recommendations and the board later voted to approve them, but he did not specify the number of votes in favor of the recommendations. University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83, who notified the members of University community about the board’s recommendations via email on Monday morning, noted in an interview with the Daily Princetonian that the approved initiatives are ways for the University to affirm and energize its commitment to diversity and inclusion. “The board strongly endorsed the committee’s report and recommendations, including its call for a renewed and expanded commitment to diversity and inclusion, and for much greater transparency in representing Wilson and his legacy, as well
as the rest of our history, on our campus,” said Chair of the Board Kathryn Hall ’80. Long-term conversations surrounding Wilson’s legacy amplified last November following a sit-in by the Black Justice League in Nassau Hall. The protestors requested removal of Wilson’s name from buildings, creation of a diversity distribution requirement, a mandatory cultural competency training for faculty and staff and creation of University affinity spaces. In early December, the University Board of Trustees designated the ten-member committee to consider these requests. The committee collected 635 responses from members of the University community and scholars who have studied Wilson by late March. It also hosted 11 on-campus group discussions, with more than 80 participants in total. See REPORT page 2
BEYOND THE BUBBLE
Planet Princeton sues U., town over ORPA denial contributor
Local community news site Planet Princeton filed a lawsuit in Mercer County Superior Court last Tuesday, seeking the records of the policing agreement between the town of Princeton and the University, after the municipality of Princeton denied prior requests for access to the agreement. University Media Relations Specialist Min Pullan noted that the University is unable to comment on active or pending cases. The agreement sets the jurisdiction of the University’s Department of Public Safety, which is larger in size than the police force of Princeton township. The complaint notes that there are 97 DPS officers, in contrast to the 60 members of the
Princeton Police Department. DPS’s sworn officers currently have the authority of commissioned police officers, with the full power of arrest and the right to carry a gun in specific circumstances, according to Krystal Knapp, the plaintiff in the case and the founding editor of Planet Princeton. According to the article released by Planet Princeton, the policing agreement was approved in 2013, and it is currently unknown if there are additional amendments. As the article notes, on Feb. 10, Planet Princeton filed the initial request that the town make the agreement public, citing the state’s Open Public Records Act. However, after consulting the University’s legal team, on Feb. 12 the municipality of Princeton denied Planet Princeton’s request.
According to the article, in its denial, the town cited an exception under OPRA, which exempts from public access any security information that might create a risk to the safety of people or property. In an emailed statement, Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert said the town’s denial of the OPRA request followed the “advice and direction issued to us in 2013 by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, which is the chief law enforcement agency for the county.” The Prosecutor’s Office did not respond to request for comment. A copy of the advice that the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office gave in 2013 was attached to the town’s official denial in February. “The release of detailed information regarding police response to See POLICE page 4
LOCAL NEWS
U. technician Pierce donates books to Nicaraguan library to foster literacy By Maya Wesby staff writer
William Pierce, theater operations technician at Richardson Auditorium, sent books collected from his book drive at the University to Puedo Leer Library in Granada, Nicaragua last Wednesday. The book drive took place on Mar. 18. The library’s goal is to spread a love of reading to those who live in Nicaragua, particularly the nation’s children, according to the mission statement on its website. Pierce said that he discovered the library in January of this year while on vacation in Nicaragua. He added that he was impressed by — and shared — the library’s passion for books and literacy, particularly children’s literacy. Donating books to the library, Pierce notes, was a positive and constructive
application of his personal interest in literacy. “It was interesting. It was a lot of fun for me because I love books. From what I’ve gathered, and I’m by no means an expert, the need for more books — for more children’s books, in particular in Nicaragua, is very significant because they’re very expensive there,” he said. Pierce collected 21 books during the drive, among which were Spanish-translated children’s books and young adult novels. According to Puedo Leer Library’s website, many Nicaraguan children have never had a story read to them by parents or other adults by the time that they begin school. “Reading for pleasure in Nicaragua is almost nonexistent,” the website states. “Schools lack storybooks and even reading for learn-
ing is severely limited since most schools rarely have textbooks for their students.” Pierce said the library was created to foster a love of reading, particularly among children from low-income communities. He added that the library might be the only lending library in the city of Granada. Helen Korengold and Carol Rea, members of the library’s Board of Directors, did not respond to a request for comment. Pierce said that setting up the book drive, which took place in Frist Campus Center, was simple. He received help from the University’s Campus Venue Services, which provided the expertise and resources necessary to complete this personally fulfilling task. Nick Robinson, director of University Campus Venue See BOOKS page 4
COURESY OF VIEWS FROM THE EDGE
Li has served as Class of 2012 president for eight consecutive years.
Lindi Li ’12 to drop Congressional race By Kevin Agostinelli contributor
Democrat Lindy Li ’12 has withdrawn from Pennsylvania’s sixth District Congressional race, following a verdict from the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania last Friday. Li had been contesting Chester County businessman Mike Parrish for the Democratic nomination in order to face Republican incumbent Ryan Costello in the 2016 November election. As a 25-year-old, she would have become the youngest female representative in Congress if she were to have been elected. However, after Parrish filed a challenge against Li’s nominating petitions, the Commonwealth Court decided in a threeday hearing that Li did not meet the minimum number of valid signatures needed. In the state of Pennsylvania, each Congressional candidate must submit 1,000 signatures in order to appear on the April 26 primary ballots. Each petition, which contains 30 signatures, has to be signed and stamped by a notary public in order to be considered valid in the court of law. It is common for nomination
In Opinion
Today on Campus
Columnist Imani Thornton likens the status quo to a manipulative lover, condemning the decision to keep Wilson’s name, and senior columnist Bennett McIntosh argues the trustees’ decisions are a slow step in the right direction. PAGE 6
5 p.m.: Intersections Working Group presents “Beyond Spike: NYC Black Independent Cinema,” a screening of Kathleen Collins’s Losing Ground and Ronald K. Gray’s Transmagnifican Dambamuality. McCormick Hall Lecture Hall 101.
petitions to contain many errors, which is why most candidates work towards attaining as many as two or three times the 1,000-signature minimum. According to Li, she had collected 2,740. However, the notary public’s failure to both stamp and sign a number of petitions, along with the accumulation of those small errors, placed her nomination below the legal requirement. “We summoned [the notary public] to court in hopes that he would be able to use evidence that he was actually there, but he did not keep a proper notary log…thus dooming a couple hundred lines,” Li said, “It’s just devastating that [my campaign] had all been decided on a technicality.” Li immigrated to the United States from China when she was five years old, moving to the sixth District of Pennsylvania, where she lived for 15 years. She commented that she had always planned on running for office in her home county before allies of Mike Parrish requested that she instead campaign in the seventh district of Pennsylvania. However, leaders in Washington, DC and across See ELECTION page 5
WEATHER
By Catherine Wang
HIGH
44˚
LOW
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Sunny skies. chance of rain: none
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Tuesday april 5, 2016
U. to implement pipeline program, diversify campus iconography REPORT
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The committee included trustees A. Scott Berg ’71, Katherine Bradley ’86, Denny Chin ’75, Angela Groves ’12, Hall, Henry, Robert Hugin ’76, Robert Murley ’72, Margarita Rosa ’74 and Ruth Simmons. In January, the University began assigning temporary affinity spaces to ethnic, racial and cultural groups. The report does not include updates about the possible creation of a University diversity distribution requirement or mandatory cultural competency training. Members of the Black Justice League declined to comment. Henry noted that although the committee understood the reasons behind the call for name change, it ultimately decided that Wilson’s contributions to public and international affairs outweigh his racist legacy. The Trustees also accepted the committee’s recommendation to change the University’s informal motto from “Princeton in the nation’s service and the service of all nations” to “Princeton in the nation’s service and the service of humanity.” A plaque with the new motto will be installed at the front of campus. Henry explained that the committee arrived at this decision because the old motto evoked the University’s association with Wilson and many people have questioned what it meant in a contemporary context. He added that Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor ’76 had previously suggested that the University adopt a broader perspective on what the University inspires students to undertake. “[This change] was another gesture — hopefully lasting and inspiring — to send the message to have students think beyond our border and not be confined to a political border,” said Henry. “The change in the informal motto is one example of a way that Princeton can both recognize its history while transforming and evolving to acknowledge the contributions of the new Princetonian,” Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun noted, adding that the recommendations from the committee go beyond the consideration of the name of the school and the college and recognize the ways that the University must redouble its efforts to realize true inclusivity. Some of the recommendations include that the University
acknowledge that Wilson held and acted on racist views and implement initiatives to move toward becoming a more diverse and inclusive place. One such initiative is a pipeline program to encourage underrepresented students to pursue doctoral degrees and to diversify the University faculty. The trustees have authorized the administration to proceed with actions necessary to develop this program. Eisgruber said that he and members of the committee curated the pipeline program with the recognition that while the University has been successful in diversifying its undergraduate body, it has been less successful in diversifying other sectors, including faculty and the graduate student body. “[We] cannot have diverse faculties at this University, as well as other universities, unless we get more diverse graduate student bodies,” he noted, adding that the program may be a long-term project. “It will matter a great deal to the sense of inclusivity on this and other campuses because if we can start to make our graduate student bodies and ultimately our faculties look more like America and look more like our undergraduate student body, then it will enhance this sense of inclusivity on the campus,” he said. Both Eisgruber and Henry noted that no official timeline with exact dates has been laid out yet on how, when and by whom these initiatives will be carried out. Eisgruber added that he hopes the changes will be implemented as quickly as possible. Eisgruber said that some of the recommendations, such as the recommendation on diversifying campus art and iconography, will be rapidly implemented. In its report, the committee recommends that the administration develop a process to solicit community input with regards to naming buildings and spaces that are not already named after a historical figure. In particular, the committee has encouraged the administration to name the atrium in Robertson Hall in this manner. Eisgruber noted that plans have already begun for the naming of the atrium as well as the design and implementation of the plaque with the unofficial motto, and noted the current campus art as “[not doing] justice to the diversity of our student body and our community today.” “We can make this [campus] a more interesting place, a better
place and a more inclusive place by making our campus artwork and names of our campus places more diverse,” he said. Both Henry and Eisgruber noted that the special committee on diversity and inclusion will continue the work of the Committee in ensuring appropriate efforts are put into implementing the initiatives. Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Diversity Michele Minter noted that the report acknowledges both the University’s strengths and weaknesses regarding diversity and the way history has been discussed on the campus.
“The campus community has inherited certain traditions but we also have the obligation to establish our own legacy.” Michele Minter
Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Diversity
“As the trustees pointed out in their report, we will benefit from a more candid understanding of Princeton’s past. The campus community has inherited certain traditions but we also have the obligation to establish our own legacy,” she said.“It does what a university should be able to do, which is to collect information and perspectives and grapple with complicated and controversial topics in a nuanced way. It challenges the administration and the campus community to do even more to create an inclusive campus, and I welcome that charge.” She added that the University is already working on several recommendations of the committee and said that she looks forward to working with students on these projects and reporting on the progresses. “The Board of Trustees’ initiatives aim to address the heart of the issue: how to improve diversity and inclusion at Princeton and how to more completely represent those who are honored on campus,” Dean of the Wilson School Cecilia Rouse noted. “I believe both are critical for Princeton to successfully welcome students, faculty and staff from very different backgrounds and with very different
points of view,” Rouse said. Head of Wilson College Eduardo Cadava and Director of Student Life Aaron King did not respond to request for comment. Some students welcomed the move towards diversity and inclusion. Katrine Steffensen ’18, who recently declared a concentration in the Wilson School, noted that she thinks the decisions, particularly the art project and the pipeline program, are steps in the right direction to diversify the campus community. “I care that my friends can see themselves and their place on this campus and in its history and that they can feel proud of it. And I care that everyone in this situation seems to have good intentions,” Selena Kitchens ’17 noted, “In a conversation that seems so much about symbolism – the symbol of Woodrow Wilson, the symbol of Princeton – I think it’s hard to know from the outside what is merely symbolic and what will lead to real change, so I am hopeful that many of the suggestions… can be steps toward Princeton reflecting its ideals as well as its history.” Jeremy Borjon GS, president of the Latino Graduate Student Association, said that he is glad that the University frankly acknowledged Wilson’s problematic legacy and reaffirmed its commitment to diversity and inclusion. “I applaud the University for their movement to establish a high-profile pipeline program to encourage underrepresented students to pursue doctoral degrees,” he said. Yet many students noted that the report and the announcement did not address some of the main points from last November’s protests. Students also noted concerns about the lack of actionable language in the report. Borjon noted that he did overall find the report disappointing. “They had an opportunity to demonstrate bold and creative thinking that would set the standard for how institutions grapple with their racist past. The University failed to lead with any such action,” Borjon said. Faridah Laffan ’18 said that changing the motto doesn’t seem to do anything beneficial. Jamie O’Leary ’19 noted that she and her roommate were surprised that there was no mention on the decision to keep Wilson’s name in Eisgruber’s email. “We had to go into the report to find it. On the Princeton website, the article about the
decision is entitled, ‘Trustees call for expanded commitment to diversity and inclusion.’” she said. “Although I think it’s great that the diversity and inclusion are being emphasized, it seems as if the University is trying to cover up or downplay the significant decision that’s been made.” Sarah Sanneh ’19 noted that she thinks both the report and Eisgruber’s letter completely circumvent the issues brought up by the Black Justice League. “How does the final proposed change of an informal motto do anything to help alleviate the negative experiences of students of color here at Princeton? In fact, I would argue that nothing has been changed because the committee has merely taken out one concept, ‘all nations,’ and replaced it with a similar word, ‘humanity.’ What does this accomplish?” she said. “I am disappointed by the lack of response to the proposals regarding racial sensitivity training for faculty and staff. Many of my friends have experienced some level of racebased discrimination not only from fellow students, but from advisors and professors as well. This is not acceptable, yet this is an issue that the task force deemed acceptable to ignore.” Sanneh further dismissed the composition of the committee, saying that many of the trustees would have not experienced the tension that minority students on campus have experienced and are still experiencing. “I am sorely disappointed in the conclusion reached by the Trustee Committee on Woodrow Wilson’s Legacy at Princeton — even the name of the committee only acknowledges the most sensational aspect of the BJL’s proposal — but I’m not sure what else I could have expected from a task force composed of people who have had the privilege of experiencing a Princeton unprejudiced towards them because of the color of their skin. Before we claim to be in service of all of humanity, perhaps it would serve us well to acknowledge and take steps to alleviate the negative racial experiences of humans on our own campus,” she said. When asked about the lack of actionable language in the report, Eisgruber did not respond to the question. Brent said the committee only made recommendations and it was the trustees that drafted the final report.
Tuesday april 5, 2016
The Daily Princetonian
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The Daily Princetonian
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Tuesday april 5, 2016
Knapp: Information about who polices Books donated to help what is info in the public’s interest Nicaraguan children POLICE develop literacy Continued from page 1
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service calls, including primary responsibility data and coverage maps, would create a risk to the safety of persons and property in the Princeton area,” the letter said. “The information that is requested could contain tactical response details that are not subject to public disclosure.” According to the Planet Princeton article, Princeton Township also claimed that the agreement is not a government record under state law, an assertion which has become a key point of contention in this case. In the letter brief attached in the article, Planet Princeton contends that the agreement is a public record and that it should be known to the general public. “The information about who polices what is information in the public’s interest. Citizens deserve the right to know what jurisdiction they
are under, and who handles what crimes. Many similar agreements between other schools and towns can be found online, by the way,” Knapp said in an emailed statement. Knapp pointed out that the boundaries of DPS’s jurisdiction are unclear to the general public. Specific points of contention include who polices Princeton’s eating clubs or the Princeton Dinky train station, which is owned by the University but used by the general public. “It would seem to me that the town and University are trying to have it both ways in this case — on the one hand claiming they have the same authority as police departments, yet on the other hand claiming jurisdiction is protected from disclosure,” Knapp said. However, the University will not become directly involved in the case, according to Walter Luers, the lawyer representing Planet Princeton. “We haven’t named the University as a defendant, so I don’t expect them to
become involved.” The defendant for this case is Linda McDermott, in her official capacity as Municipal Clerk and Custodian of Records for Princeton. McDermott did not respond to request for comment. Luers, who specializes in public records cases, has represented a journalist in a similar case regarding the city of New Brunswick and Rutgers University. In that case, the records were turned over to the general public before the case went to court in 2012. Luers foresees three potential outcomes for this case. “We win, we lose or we get a partial win. A partial win would be if the judge orders the records be released but with redactions,” he said. One judge per county court hears cases regarding OPRA. Judge Mary Jacobson will be the judge hearing this case. Jacobson was unable to be reached for comment.
BOOKS
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Services, deferred comment to University Media Relations Specialist Min Pullan. Pullan noted that, through University Scheduling, many groups are able to use tables on the Frist 100-level to promote or hold events and initiatives. She added that the event was affiliated with Latino Princetonians, an Employee Resource Group of the Office of Human Resources. The Latino Princetonians could not be reached by the time of publication. “I think… in most lessdeveloped countries there is a need and a desire for books. And I’ve been aware of this for years, and this is the first time I’ve been able to really act on it,” he said. Pierce added that given the Princeton community’s popular libraries and active readership, there was a huge surplus of books that made
it easy to help the developing country. “I enjoyed the process tremendously and look forward to continuing,” he said, noting that he plans to hold another book drive next year around the same time, in the late winter or early spring. Pierce added that people should participate in book drives because of the positive outcome that donations will have on the receiving communities. “I think that a love of literacy, a love of reading, promotes economic progress and self-sufficiency. Besides simply providing people with pleasure, which book reading does, it also enriches their lives, helps them to become better-educated, better able to support themselves and better able to help their societies and countries grow. It is almost self-evident, the positive benefits of literacy and reading,” he said.
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Tuesday april 5, 2016
The Daily Princetonian
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Li withdraws from race due to insufficient valid signatures ELECTION Continued from page 1
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Pennsylvania who viewed the sixth district as a much more winnable election for Democrats prompted Li to switch back to the sixth district just three months ago. Parrish’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Despite these setbacks, Li, who lamented that she was also leading in the district polls for the sixth district’s primary — is very motivated to continue a career in public office after resigning from her job as a financial analyst for Morgan Stanley last year. “I will be running again,” she affirmed, though it remains to be seen if she will run again in the sixth district specifically. Li shared a story from the
hearing in which a judge came up to her and expressed that he had never been so moved by an election case as this one, due to Li’s outward desire to be able to serve the community. The judge, who was a Republican, told Li that her political career is a war, and this is just a small battle. “I just remember walking home with my mom hand-inhand, and I haven’t held her hand in years,” Li said. “It was simultaneously the best and worst week of my life.” Though she did not specifically declare whether or not she would run again in the Pennsylvania sixth District, Li mentioned the multitude of issues facing her home county. “Job opportunities, college affordability, high-quality education… we didn’t have a budget in Pennsylvania until a few weeks ago, so our public schools
weren’t publicly funded… These kids are the future, and I’m a proud product of the public school system.” Li also mentioned that she will now work hard to support many of the female candidates running for Congress this coming year. As she noted, “There is not a single woman representing us in Congress and the Senate in the state of Pennsylvania, leaving six million women without a voice in Washington.” As a first-generation Chinese-American, Li expressed her desire to demonstrate to America that being ChineseAmerican does not make her any less American. “I would die for this country; I would do anything for this country,” she said. Li emphasized that her main agenda will not change as she continues to battle for middleclass and working-class fami-
lies. “These people are the bedrock of our beautiful country, and you have to take care of them… but obviously now the money in their pockets is shrinking,” she said. She explained that there is a lot to be done, but that this work will not stop simply because someone beat her in a campaign. Li shared her belief that the most pressing issue facing Congress is campaign finance, which is at the root of so many problems. “I’d love to do something about climate change, but I can’t because big oil firms are in the way; I’d love to do something about gun violence, but I can’t because the NRA is in the way… There’s a special interest that defies progress on so many fronts.” Vincent Galko, senior adviser to Costello’s campaign, responded with words of sympathy to-
wards Lindy Li and her recent withdrawal from the race. “It was encouraging to see an ambitious young professional woman running for elected office,” said Galko. “It is unfortunate Miss Li did not meet the legal threshold to be on the ballot.” With regards to Costello’s current reelection campaign, Galko added, “Congressman Ryan Costello will continue to work for bipartisan solutions to the problems facing our nation, including the cost and quality of our education system and more economic opportunities for recent college graduates.” Li is currently in her eighth year serving as Princeton Class of 2012 President, having maintained the position since her freshman year. She was a Philosophy concentrator at the University.
Opinion
Tuesday april 5, 2016
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{ www.dailyprincetonian.com }
The glacial pace of change Bennett McIntosh columnist
A
t 9:30 Monday morning, an email from President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 reached the Princeton community announcing that the Trustees had come to a decision regarding Woodrow Wilson’s name. Within the hour, the Prince had published a story on the non-change (followed shortly thereafter by articles from the NY Times to BuzzFeed). As of this writing, the Prince’s Facebook post carrying this breaking news story had precisely one comment: “meh.” Indeed, on the face of it, the Trustees’ decision means little — “meh” is a word invented for just this situation. Wilson’s name will remain — on the College, on the School, and on the various associated awards and endowed professorships. Instead the University will change its “informal motto,” establish an array of programs and initiatives aimed at complicating Wilson’s legacy and increasing academic diversity, and “diversify campus art and iconography.” But if these changes are carried out in spirit and not just in letter, and if this year’s discussions on Princeton’s tortured relationship with race, racism and Wilson continue, the report will be an important part of a generations-long effort to make Princeton the center of open and vigorous scholarship that it can and should be. It is, frankly, unsurprising that the name was not removed. Social change — especially at ossified 300-year-old academic institutions — simply does not happen overnight. The protests this November were a remarkable success for student activists, but only because they overcame the institutional and bureaucratic barriers to even acknowledging and even addressing wrongs, not because they ensured all demands would be met. But there has, in fact, been some success. With the community’s — indeed, the world’s — attention on the stark yes-
or-no decision of the name change, Princeton has silently been awakening to the other issues the protest brought forward. With little fanfare, cultural spaces were created in the Fields center, and the title of the Master of the college was changed to “Head.” Perhaps more importantly, the Wilson School has acknowledged Wilson’s racism in an exhibition opening this week: “In the Nation’s Service? Woodrow Wilson Revisited.” The Trustees’ acknowledgement that they “deplore” Wilson’s more, well, deplorable actions is a welcome step, as is recognizing that Princeton “has venerated him in a way that has not been forthcoming or transparent about this harmful aspect of his legacy.” This veneration — of Wilson in particular and of white patriarchs in general — is a larger issue than the name alone. Just as Wilson must and shall no longer be exclusively venerated, the canon that Princeton elevates must and shall no longer be exclusively old rich white men. The Trustee Committee has laudably encouraged reconsideration and reconstruction of Princeton’s iconography, recognizing that Princetoniana — the idea of Princeton — is a mythos, and that who we place in the pantheon of that mythos’ past matters in the present. Other changes will come even more slowly, even less visibly, except to those whom they aid immensely. The Trustee Committee’s decision to launch initiatives to diversify the academic pipeline are welcome and critical. Diversity issues have to be addressed in terms of the supply of students, and that means addressing retention, improving mentorship and creating positive environments. Efforts like affirmative action are easier on paper, but without addressing the supply of students and scholars in the pipeline, affirmative action is inevitably merely cosmetic and even harmful. Whatever this program looks like, it will be built slowly and deliberately and must include the input of students and scholars throughout, but if done right it will ultimately do
more to diversify faculty nationwide than any name change or quota ever could. Yes, Princeton changes slowly. Perhaps most illustrative of this is that the advocacy of alumna and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor ’76 was not sufficient to change even Princeton’s “informal” motto, “In the nation’s service and the service of all nations.” Indeed, even that change will take a student occupation of Nassau Hall, a specially convened Trustee Committee, and a future vote of the Trustees before “all nations” can be changed to “humanity.” One imagines that the bureaucratic machinery necessary to change the formal Latin motto would require a committee including the Ghost of John Witherspoon, King WillemAlexander of the Netherlands (Head of the House of Orange-Nassau), God (class of aught) and Jeff Nunokawa. Even as the wheels of academic bureaucracy turn, the conversation — which could not have occurred without the protests — continues and should continue. Recognizing the important role of activism, the University has not pursued disciplinary action against November’s demonstrators and has updated its disciplinary policy to add more transparency and accountability for activism-related disciplinary issues. What it all means is that massive, symbolic activism does remove some barriers to social change but is not sufficient in itself to do so. I think Princeton’s activists understand this — their presence, along with that of their faculty and staff allies, in discussions and processes since November shows this, and I hope that all students will continue to be involved in the future. Princeton has made remarkable progress in the past century, and in the past months — but sustained, open efforts on all sides are the only way to ensure that this whole process doesn’t end with “meh.” Bennett McIntosh is a chemistry major from Littleton, Colo. He can be reached at bam2@ princeton.edu.
The PhD is In! terry o’shea ’16
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vol. cxl
Do-Hyeong Myeong ’17 editor-in-chief
Daniel Kim ’17
business manager
140TH MANAGING BOARD managing editor Caroline Congdon ’17 news editors Jessica Li ’18 Shriya Sekhsaria ’18 Christina Vosbikian ’18 Annie Yang ’18 opinion editor Jason Choe ’17 sports editor David Liu ’18 street editor Harrison Blackman ’17 photography editor Rachel Spady ’18 video editor Elaine Romano ’19 web editor Clement Lee ’17 chief copy editors Grace Rehaut ’18 Maya Wesby ’18 design editor Crystal Wang ’18 associate opinion editors Newby Parton ’18 Sarah Sakha ’18 associate sports editors Nolan Liu ’19 David Xin ’19 associate street editor Danielle Taylor ’18 associate photography editors Ahmed Akhtar ’17 Atakan Baltaci ’19 Mariachiara Ficarelli ’19 associate chief copy editors Megan Laubach ’18 Omkar Shende ’18 associate design editor Jessica Zhou ’19 editorial board chair Cydney Kim ’17 cartoons editor Rita Fang ’17
NIGHT STAFF 4.4.16 staff copy editors Arthur Mateo ‘19 Amanda Glatt ‘19
Maintaining Woodrow Wilson’s Name: Princeton’s notorious love affair Imani Thornton
contributing columnist
P
rinceton University is entangled in a love affair with the status quo. Like someone who’s been in a bad relationship for decades, the University consistently pretends that it will leave. But we all know how this story ends, from countless novels and soap operas: nothing will change. Princeton will refuse to let go of this status quo lover, which — despite promises of stability, prestige and privilege — fails to offer real benefits and ultimately harms all those who have warned against this relationship. Although the status quo is beneficial for many of us, I have argued that it ultimately stands on the wrong side of history and progress. Indeed, Princeton has proven again that it has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, even as peers like Harvard are finding ways to do otherwise. On Monday, the Trustees’ committee on Woodrow Wilson’s legacy released a report concerning his legacy
at Princeton. Despite the demands of Princeton’s Black Justice League, the Committee “recommends that both the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Wilson College should retain their current names and that the University needs to be honest and forthcoming about its history.” Resembling the maintenance of status quos in years past, the University’s strides toward “progress” manifested themselves in the bureaucratic form of a committee. This committee made the ultimate decision that Woodrow Wilson’s name should be put into “proper and transparent contextualization.” This is a fascinating statement, especially when certain drawn-out bureaucratic procedures such as the Wilson committee are, according to political scientist Terry Moe, already poorly suited for effective action. In short, the very nature of the committee and others like it makes it a perfect function of the status quo. Think again of the person who promises for the millionth time that they will think about leaving their abusive lover. They speak to the lover on the lover’s terms, who then employs longused tactics to keep them in their grasp. This lover even promises to compromise on certain
aspects, to prove that they are actively working for and supporting all parties involved. In this way, Princeton’s committee on Wilson’s legacy, along with a promised subcommittee “to ensure regular and active trustee attention to these issues,” are efforts that use the tactics of the status quo, for the status quo. As both a friend and student of Princeton, I am disappointed — but not surprised. Again, the status quo is taught to be sustaining for many of us. The committee came to its conclusion seemingly by majority rule. This seems logical enough in our democratic state, but we should also remember that tyranny of the majority is something that usually does not bode well for minorities on this campus or anywhere else around the world. Further, the sentiments of the majority are not — and should not be — the moral compass concerning such decisions. It is pernicious that Princeton’s committee turned to a method that benefits those with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, the majority, and to a committee that may merely reflect the majority-minority dynamic that continues to flourish on Princeton’s campus. Like the hopeless romantic drawn into a
bad love affair, Princeton simultaneously abhors and depends upon the status quo. What would Princeton be without this lover, without its relationship to the subjugation of minority and marginalized groups? We are often afraid of what we cannot imagine. History shows us that Princeton does not stray away from its lover without a fight, from its troubled relationship with slavery to its failure to divest from companies that profited from South African Apartheid until 1985. Princeton’s utilization of its prestige perpetuates the imbalance of power that the status quo is founded upon. Can Princeton conceptualize itself as a place that truly denounces these pieces of its history and begins marching toward a new future? This future cannot be formed solely by committees or task forces, or even be created on the terms of the University itself. This harmful status quo must be eradicated on the terms of those it harms. Until then, Princeton’s love affair with the status quo is hardly one worth watching. Imani Thornton is a freshman from Matteson, Ill. She can be contacted at it4@princeton.edu.