Welcome to Princeton, Class of 2027! You have just entered one of the most outstanding places in the country. In this square mile in central New Jersey, you will meet bright, curious peers and superb scholars. You will make lifelong friends. You will push your intellect farther than it’s ever gone before.
If you’re anything like me, however, you might have been a little apprehensive about starting at Princeton, having heard about the politicization of higher education. Princeton is no exception, as student polls prove. As newly minted college students, you already have to run the unfamiliar gauntlet of college life. For conservatives, an extra minefield of challenges lies in wait. If you are on Outdoor Action (OA), you may wonder how mandatory sessions on race and socioeconomic status could possibly help you to make new friends in the great outdoors. If you are on Community Action (CA) or Dialogue and Difference in Action (DDA), much of the experience will consist of discussing “identity, power, privilege and difference.” Perhaps you will notice how certain perspectives on sexuality, the public good, or metaphysical truth are conveniently left out of many orientation events and materials. You may even feel clobbered by so much discussion of “diversity” without feeling represented in the slightest.
But do not abandon hope, all ye who enter here! I have engaged in the most rewarding conversations at Princeton – with peers on both the right and left, and even with progressive professors. Even though certain topics may seem difficult, do not assume that you will be shut down for speaking your mind. Your perspective has a place here. In the many disciplines that are not overtly politicized, professors will welcome your contributions and the dialogue it produces. (The last thing they want to hear is crickets.) Be the one who speaks first and speaks freely. Sometimes, you will even be cheered on and joined by peers who secretly agree, and needed someone to part the seas for them before they felt willing to step forward.
When you are challenged on your convictions, you must be ready for it. Through earnest, open-minded debate, I personally have re-examined and sharpened some of my views. This I must do in order to remind myself, Socratically, of how ignorant I am. And in debate, remember to abide by the highest standards of respect and civility, higher than those your interlocutors may resort to. Always use what Princeton’s own Prof. Robert P. George calls the “currency” of discourse: “offering reasons, marshaling evidence, and making arguments.”
Every voice counts at Princeton. Every time you speak up, you create a chance to strengthen your convictions, perhaps even convince someone else, or to discover hidden allies. You must also be ready to learn, to have your mind changed. That is the entire purpose of this little ivy-covered enclave, however imperfectly this purpose is pursued by administrators and students. I know it firsthand. Not long ago, I submitted my own college essay telling of my attempt to bring the Second Amendment perspective to my 2017 high school walkout for gun control. That effort was botched – but Princeton seemed to like the essay enough to give me a shot. I think that speaks to the University’s goal to not simply tolerate the political right, but to actively promote intellectual diversity in the student body.
Be on guard, however. We are in turbulent political times. The election is heating up. Our nation is still not settled whether Trump is getting his just dessert for challenging the 2020 results, or if jailing him flouts every pretense of normalcy that the Left has put on. Either way, new controversy is always on the horizon. If current events put a strain on the discourse, my call for civility grows even greater.
At the Tory, we pride ourselves on being the premier voice for conservatives and moderates at Princeton. You can find us online and in print, covering a wide spectrum of social and political issues. We are also a social hub for the politically interested, hosting speaker events and social gatherings. We aim to provide students with a place to come together, to train our members in journalism, and above all, to offer a view distinct from campus orthodoxies. And our ranks are only growing.
The Tory is far from the only group on campus where you can engage in discussions about policy and the American future – and I encourage you to try them all out. These include (but are not limited to) the James Madison Program, Whig-Clio, Alexander Hamilton Society – if you’re of the foreign policy breed – and many others. These groups are excellent ways for the politically minded to get involved in extracurricular life.
I want to end by wishing you the best this coming year. It won’t be easy – and you’ve probably sacrificed quite a bit already. But these years will be well worth everything it took to get here.
Darius Gross ’24
Publisher of the Princeton Tory
(photo courtesy of Adam Fagen/Flickr)
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