Category Archives: Opinion

Cap on A’s hurts Princeton students

Illustration by Justin Park

By Eric Macias
Chicago, Ill.

Students at Princeton University in New Jersey have expressed discontent towards the University’s grade deflation policy that has been in place for a decade.

Established in 2004, Princeton’s system has played a role in the downfall of students’ grade point averages. It caps the number of As given out to students by a specific percentage per individual department.

The attainment of A’s at educational institutions implies that students have demonstrated excellent work, not average work. The implementation of a limit on the number of A’s awarded to students assumes that not every student is capable of excellent work. Therefore, the grade deflation policy embraced by Princeton should not be allowed in academic settings. Continue reading →

Children at border should be given a chance

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By Diego Pineda
Raleigh, N.C.

Tens of thousands of children from Central America are currently in detention centers around the border area. After traveling thousands of miles — trekking on top of a train known as “La Bestia” (“The Beast”) and crossing the desert — these innocent children were caught by the United States Border Patrol as they had one foot inside and the other foot outside of making their dreams come true.

Escaping violence, poverty, deficiency of resources and persecution, the children are only seeking a light to the end of their tunnel. This tunnel might be dark and lonely as they walk through a desert that undergoes extremes of hot and cold temperatures. As they make their way through the Central American borders and Mexico, they tend to lack food and shelter. Everywhere they go there are dangerous people who try to sexually abuse them or get them to join gangs. Continue reading →

Daring to dream of a brighter future

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By the Staff of The Princeton Summer Journal

Ten days ago, we arrived at Princeton University for the start of the Summer Journalism Program. We came from all over the country with different backgrounds and cultures, but we shared a common interest in journalism.

Today, we leave Princeton as friends and as members of the broader SJP family. We have had a once-in-a-lifetime experience and formed long-lasting friendships cemented through long days of workshops and late nights in the newsroom. Continue reading →

A new life in a new country

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By Jingwei Zhang
Oakland, Calif.

At five years old, I moved thousands of miles away and across an ocean, from a village in the Guangzhou province of China to Oakland, Calif. My parents were farmers who wanted me to have a better life, and they had heard that America was a land of opportunity. But it wasn’t until many years later that I realized the difference between my new home and the world I left behind. Continue reading →

Snowden’s actions undermine safety

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By Jingwei Zhang
Oakland, Calif.

Graphic by Daisy Gomez

Ever since Edward Snowden leaked evidence of U.S. spying programs, the world has been divided on the issue of whether he is a hero or a traitor. The U.S. government wants to prosecute Snowden as a traitor. Meanwhile, American and international public opinion is divided, but the world public tends to favor Snowden’s side.

I believe that Snowden is a traitor for exposing the fact that the United States hacked into the agencies and institutions of other countries. In essence, U.S. spying on foreign countries only complicates international relations in an era when the world is so interconnected that foreign relations are critical to a country’s standing. Continue reading →

Losing a home, gaining a perspective

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By Jhazalyn Prince
Brooklyn, N.Y.

My stomach clenched painfully as I opened the kitchen cabinet. Day by day, the contents continued to dwindle. I grabbed a Cup Noodles for the third time that day. It was the last package.

I was 13 when my parents separated. My brother, my mother and I had to leave our apartment and move to my grandmother’s apartment building. But in 2012, my mother lost her job, and we were evicted when we came up short on our rent. At age 16, I found myself homeless, embarrassed and angry—let down by my family. Continue reading →

Putting players on pedestals, only to watch them fall

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By Jasmine White
Birmingham, Ala.

For a moment, Riley Cooper got lost in all the celebrity. The money, the fame, adoration by millions all over the country—it appears that he found the glamor of it all seductive. But in recent weeks, it seems that Cooper has finally gotten a wakeup call: Fans leave just as easily as they emerge. Continue reading →

Soda ban would address obesity

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By Mofida Abdelmageed
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Graphic by Daisy Gomez

New York City is sometimes referred to as a “fat,” rather than “fit,” city. In 2012, Mayor Michael Bloomberg supported a plan to ban the sale of sodas and other sugary beverages in sizes larger than 16 ounces in restaurants and other eateries. On July 30, however, a state appeals court rejected his plan, saying that he had overstepped his authority.

Some New Yorkers applauded the appeals court’s decision, but they do not understand the major health consequences that occur after continuously drinking soda for long periods of time. Bloomberg’s care and concern for his people is important, and his goal was to decrease obesity rates in New York. “Keep in mind, we’re trying to save the lives of these kids,” he said earlier this year. Continue reading →

Programming our way to success in tomorrow’s society

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By Erick Arzate
Chicago, Ill.

According to NewsMedia Trend Watch, an average 18- and 19-year-old American spends more than 40 hours per week online, about the time commitment of a typical full-time job. In addition, by the year 2014 more than 77 percent of the world’s population will be active Internet users.

These numbers demand our attention. In today’s society, everyone depends on computers for nearly every facet of his or her life. Yet the average American has no idea how a computer works. Only 10 percent of schools even offer computer science courses—something that has to change if we are to meet the demands of tomorrow’s economy. Continue reading →

Higher standards needed in schools

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By Shemaiah Clarke
Philadelphia, Pa.

Ever since moving to the United States from Trinidad and Tobago, I have been struck by how lenient American teachers are. In Trinidad and Tobago, where I lived until June 2012, there are high standards and students are expected to excel in school. Teachers assume an assertive role and constantly encourage students to work harder. Continue reading →