“Want to grab a meal?” I can’t tell you how many times a week I hear this question. It is probably one of the most common questions thrown around here at Princeton. Since everyone needs to eat, grabbing a meal is one of the easiest ways to chat with people. Whether you recently met someone and want to get to know them better, or you want to catch up with an old friend, a meal is always a good option.

If you were to ask a Princeton student on average how long he or she spends in a dining hall in a given week, I bet the number would surprise you. This is largely because the conversations in a dining hall are special. Time tends to stop and one becomes immersed in the conversation.  Sure, there are those days that you have to grab a quick meal in between class, but on average, Princeton students tend to spend their mealtime enjoying the company of others and having intellectual conversations.

I think this is because students enjoy engaging with one another. You never know what interesting thing someone is going to mention that launches into a long discussion. It could be politics, something one just learned in class, an interesting tidbit about one’s past or even what food is being served that day. It doesn’t really matter what the conversation starts with. It just matters where it goes.

Additionally, there are many lectures and conversations with faculty that occur over meal times that further add to the opportunities for interesting discussion over food. For example, over the past two weeks, I have attended a lecture about zebras in Kenya, a pre-vet guidance session, a Spanish table (where students in Spanish classes get together to practice their Spanish), a Hebrew learning session, as well as meetings for various clubs and departments I am part of.

When I was looking at colleges, it was my dinner conversation with my host at Princeton that made me realize Princeton was the school for me. We must have sat in the dining hall for almost two hours going through everything from research opportunities to campus sport culture. My conversation with my host made me realize how incredible people are at Princeton, and how much I wanted to engage with them all. I wanted more meaningful discussions, and I can honestly say now after being on campus for three years, that is exactly what I have gotten. I am still friends with my host today (I actually just got a meal with her last week), and I am constantly making new friends over meals.

So next time you’re looking to make some new friends or catch up with old ones, you know you can always rely on the handy phrase “want to get a meal?”

It was the end of frosh week, which is the first week of the academic year where student organizations will have open houses to gain interest from students, and I knew the auditions had started at 7 p.m. I really wanted to go but my first-year self was not even sure of how to get to that dance studio and still needed a bit more confidence to show up alone to the auditions of a South Asian dance company. I went instead to the Triangle Show with some friends I had just met, but during the performance I kept thinking how sad it would be not to join such a cool dance group just because of my frosh week shyness. When the show ended I convinced one of the friends to run over to the rest of the auditions with me. When we arrived they just finished learning the classical piece for auditions. They were going to perform it in groups and then we would learn a Bollywood piece. My friend and I watched as the auditionees performed the classical choreography they had just learnt. I became both scared and excited, the choreography was so beautiful yet so different to anything I had danced before, it was indeed difficult! But once they filmed all the auditionees, the company members stood up and performed the Bollywood section we would be learning—Balam Pichkari! The fear immediately went away and the excitement multiplied; this is why I had wanted to auditions! That same night I received an email inviting me to callbacks, and the day after I was suddenly part of a crazy, welcoming student-run dance company called Naacho. 

Image

People on campus often ask me how I ended up joining a South Asian dance group and being so involved in it. The short answer is my roommate in high school was from India and she taught me some Bollywood choreographies, and I thought they were a lot of fun. The longer answer also includes how I have been trained in flamenco my whole life and the dance styles are similiar. This is due to the Roma ethnic group that developed the flamenco dance form in Southern Spain, which originated from India. Bollywood was the only South East Asian dance style to which I had been exposed but, through Naacho I have also learnt Raas, Bhangra, Hip-hop, classical and many more styles. Naacho late night rehearsals have been some of my favorite moments on campus and the weeks preceding the shows have been the most packed weeks in my whole time at Princeton. The “Naacho bonding nights” are the main reason I have not been able to get enough sleep.

Being in Naacho has been incredibly fun and it has also allowed me to better understand and reflect on the world around me, which has in turn helped me to better understand the Princeton community and the ways in which we can make it grow. Being the co-president of such a diverse dance company with dancers that come from all over the world, and which presents a wide variety of traditional and contemporary South Asian dance styles, is really an amazing privilege. Working with more than 40 students and leading a dance company that promotes the beauty of South Asian dance has been a very gratifying experience, but it is also a never-ending learning process. It takes time to understand how one can appreciate other cultures, and aim to do a just representation of often underrepresented communities to which one does not necessarily belong. While Naacho seems like an obvious choice to many of our dancers of South Asian descent, it becomes home for all the company, including people who had no previous exposure to South Asian culture. The student groups at Princeton are really a great way of exposing oneself to new cultures, communities and ideas. It is hard to figure out your identity in a new environment, but the process will help you grow in so many ways. I hope to see you all at auditions in the future!

I am a first-generation American and a first-generation college student. Coming to college was not an easy process; while my parents offered me unconditional support, they could not advise me based on previous experience. All of my friends’ parents had gone to college and were therefore able to give their children detailed accounts of what it was like, providing them with an easier transition to their new lives. I started noticing my friends pulling away as they adjusted faster to the college atmosphere; meanwhile, I found myself unable to be as independent as everyone else. I hadn’t realized that growing up with only my sister and parents in America had made me incredibly dependent on them.

I am sure each first-gen student has a unique experience; I can tell you a little bit about my own. Going off to college is a huge shock for most people, and it’s even more of a shock if you’re unprepared and alone. One of the most interesting parts of being a first-generation college student is that my parents are along for the ride, but from a different perspective. They are fascinated with anything and everything to do with the American collegiate system, because they’ve never been through it themselves; thus they are completely invested in my experience.

Since my parents aren’t able to give me experience-based advice, I was a little worried coming into my first year that I would be at a complete disadvantage. To my delight, I found that Princeton has so many resources for students like me! I joined a group on campus called Scholars Institute Fellows Program (SIFP), which provides me with a weekly mentorship group to talk about my life as a Princeton student. Through this, I’ve gained access to wonderful students and faculty that have been able to open many doors for me that I wouldn’t have even known existed.

My first year with SIFP was so valuable that I decided to pay it forward by joining the Princeton University Mentoring Program (PUMP). Only this time, I am the mentor, not the mentee. This has been such an incredible program so far, and it has enabled me to meet other first-generation and/or low-income students and provide a helping hand.

When I got to Princeton last year, I was pleasantly overwhelmed at the idea of finding new activities and organizations that I would grow to love. I was intrigued by the chaotic activities fair that featured hundreds of club members shouting at me, trying to explain the premise of their group in the three seconds I had before being whisked away by a different club. I became so involved that I started worrying if “in with the new” really meant “out with the old,” or if I could potentially do both; there were a few activities from high school that I just wasn’t ready to part with yet.

So I decided to keep the old, too. Aside from joining new groups like Spoon University, Princeton Hidden Minority Council, Princeton University Peer Mentoring Program, Princeton Latinos y Amigos and more, I looked for ways to keep doing what I had been so involved with before Princeton: music.

Joining the Princeton University Orchestra (PUO) as a double bass player was the start of what has been an incredible journey thus far. Not only has it been a springboard for many close friendships, but it has also given me the opportunity to travel to and tour new countries every other year. For example, last year PUO toured through Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna and Prague during break. Here’s a sneak peak of the bass section at the top of a bell tour in Prague:

Image

Amazingly, the Princeton music experience is about to get even better. This year marks the opening of the new Lewis Arts Complex, a humongous building complete with performance and rehearsal spaces, additional instrument lockers, and numerous practice rooms and studios with advanced acoustic systems. Early this fall the music department put on a performance featuring several of the major performing groups on campus, such as PUO, to commemorate the opening of this new, fantastic building. I was completely blown away by the impressive array of talents on display the entire night, ranging from the Glee Club, percussion, the Chamber Choir, to jazz, classical music, and everything in between. The purpose of the concert was to have nonstop music; in other words, when one group finished, another would immediately start playing. The groups were spread out around the performance hall, and colorful spotlights illuminated the musicians while they played.

Image

For me, the most beautiful part of the evening was the coming together of many musicians from different disciplines of music. The various genres and styles formed part of the face of the music department, and they reaffirmed my belief that music really is a universal language.

When you first get to Princeton you are inundated with acronyms. Don’t forget to listen to your RCA and PAA’s advice. Did you go to the SHARE panel? What about the ODUS discussion? Did you ask OIT for help with wireless connection? Do you have a JRC?

There are so many names and positions that it’s hard to keep them straight. That’s why I wanted to focus on one of these acronyms so that hopefully you as a reader can gain a better appreciate for what it is other than a few letters smashed together in a phonetically appeasing way.

PAA – Peer Academic Adviser.

A PAA works closely with an RCA (residential college adviser) to mentor a group of first-year or sophomore students. PAAs are typically juniors and seniors who have volunteered their time to offer advice and guidance to younger students. While PAAs often focus mostly on the academic side of things (hence the name), that doesn’t mean they are limited to the academic realm.

I serve as a PAA for a group of first year students in Mathey College, one of our six residential colleges. Since my primary role is to provide academic guidance for my "zees" (what we call our group of students, since they are our advisees), I often find myself at meals with them discussing classes for the following semester or what major to consider. As a first-year, I took advantage of this resource and constantly went to my PAA for advice, so now it is my chance to give back to the community that helped me so much. In addition to academic advising, I also work closely with my RCA to host fun study breaks for my zees. This year, we’ve held a Halloween makeup design workshop, a summer application and resume workshop and many fun weekly study breaks featuring some kind of exciting food (Qudoba and sushi are always a hit). We also have a family dinner every Sunday evening in the Mathey dining hall where all of our zees are invited to get a meal together and catch up with one another.

My role as a PAA also extends outside of my zee group. Any time there is a first or second year student interested in ecology and evolutionary biology, my director of studies forwards their information to me. Over coffee or meals, I get to meet other students who are interested in my major and offer them advice regarding curriculum and opportunities within the department.

The PAA system is spectacular and is one of the special aspects of the Princeton experience many visitors do not always learn about. Therefore, I hope this provides an idea of what PAAs do and how great of a resource they are for first- and second-year students.

It’s not unusual to find yourself learning just as much outside the classroom as when you are inside. While the two kinds of learning appear different, the value is ultimately the same.

In school, the agenda is set and the same materials are presented for each student. However, experiential learning is more personal. It lets you take control of what you learn and how you learn it.

I’ve come to realize that some of the most important revelations in life can only be learned through the latter kind. My most recent experience was volunteering at the Princeton Disability Awareness (PDA) Fall Carnival. Each fall and spring, PDA puts on a carnival where children are invited to spend a day on campus while being buddied up with a Princeton student.

The carnival was a whole day affair, starting at 9 a.m. in the morning. Despite it being bright and early on a Sunday, the place was already bursting with activity when I entered the room. While volunteers were getting breakfast, the main coordinators were putting on finishing touches to the decorations. From one look, I could tell that there was no shortage of activities. The sun room had paints, crayons, stickers and 3D crafts. Toys and puzzles littered the sitting room and the front lawn had sports balls and sidewalk chalk. Each volunteer was given a schedule of events throughout the day, from a capella to magic performances.

Around 9:30 a.m. the kids started streaming in. The excitement was tangible.

I spent the day with my buddy, going from room to room. We started upstairs, in a quiet setting, reading books and having a snack. By the middle of the day, he got more comfortable with me. We went downstairs and he became mesmerized with the toy cars, spending almost an hour with them. We also painted and played with the balloons.  

But truthfully, it wasn’t all that easy. As volunteers, we were there to ensure that the children have a great time, not to parent them. So it became hard when there was a clear disparity between what my buddy wanted and what I knew was the right thing. In one instance, my buddy became fascinated with the elevator, not wanting to leave and move on to another activity. This made it hard for other children who needed to ride the elevator.

Nevertheless, the day was a success. Although I could only speculate for my buddy, I definitely had fun. The experience also provided me a look into the lives of these parents. I knew it was difficult beforehand but I physically felt the exhaustion after only six short hours. It gave me a new understanding and sense of urgency of what raising awareness for people with disabilities meant.

And as for the carnival? It’s definitely something I would do again.

Whenever a school break is approaching, students start asking one another what their plans for the upcoming break are. As an international student, my reply is always met by noticeable surprise. If I say I am going home people are both shocked, because they think Spain is too far away for just a two week-long break, and extremely excited, because they think I am doing I kind of Eurorail exotic trip when, in reality, I am most probably just going to spend most of the break back in my bed sleeping way too many hours because of my ever-persistent jet lag.

Oftentimes though, when the break is really too short for me to fly back, I stay back on campus. To this news, local students almost always sympathetically react with sadness. I find this funny because, even though I would like to go home more often, many of these breaks are new traditions for me, so it is not like I am extremely homesick or yearning home. For example, most of my friends find it especially desolating that I stay back for Thanksgiving. It was unimaginable to them that I wouldn’t be eating turkey (even though I am vegetarian!) and that I wouldn’t be spending this fourth Thursday of November with my family (although I would just be going to school if I were back home). Yet, I very much enjoy my time on campus during these breaks. For the spring break, Princeton offers local internships through Career Services, group excursions into Philadelphia and New York City through the residential colleges, and on-campus writing groups for seniors who want to work on the thesis together.

One of the aspects of living abroad that I enjoy most in general is having the agency to choose in which activities and traditions you want to partake. Because one has not been brought up in that certain culture or society, it is easier to distance oneself from certain customs or practices that might be problematic without having to completely reconsider one’s national identity. Staying on campus during break is a great opportunity to reflect on one’s experience as a foreigner in a new country because normally it is mostly international students who stay back so it is a great time to reconnect with friends who we met during International Orientation and share our common experiences so far. The International Davis Center normally prepares other activities and events such as movie screenings to bring the international community dispersed across campus a bit closer together. Overall, I find breaks on campus very enjoyable because they give me time to appreciate what goes unnoticed during the busy times school is in session. I get to enjoy campus more and discover the town better. It is a great time to learn how to cook better dishes and take extra work shifts at my library! It would also be a great time to catch up on work but I take the ‘break’ part very seriously.