No matter your political leanings, there is a place at Princeton for you. Princeton’s long list of student organizations includes many groups that focus on political engagement. We have the Princeton University College Republicans, and the Princeton College Democrats. The Princeton Progressive is a journal dedicated to progressive political thought, while The Princeton Tory is the corresponding journal of conservative thought. These groups foster a community of students with like-minded views and allow these students to explore their political interests.

While it is important to have groups based on political identity, there are also groups at Princeton that are non-partisan and try to unite students who have all sorts of different political opinions. One such example is Whig-Clio, the country’s oldest collegiate political, literary and debate society. Whig-Clio organizes events such as presidential debate and election watch parties, study breaks with friends and food, and guest speakers. Whig-Clio also has several subsidiary organizations, including the Princeton Debate Panel, Princeton International Relations Council, Princeton Mock Trial and Princeton Model Congress. Being a part of Whig-Clio is a great way to meet students passionate about politics and policy. My favorite debate they host has nothing to do with politics at all- it’s the annual Latke vs. Hamentaschen Debate to crown the best Jewish food! I have so many good memories with Whig-Clio, from waiting anxiously for election results to commenting on a presidential candidate's debate performance while chatting with my friends and eating delicious food.

Another non-partisan organization is Vote100, a group dedicated to increasing Princeton students’ voter registration and turnout rates. Historically, Princeton voter turnout has remained fairly low, and Vote100 seeks to change that. In the past, Vote100 hosted voter registration drives, gave out cool gear with a message, and ran days of action where students can contact their legislators. Vote100 recently started a new campaign through TurboVote that makes registering to vote or requesting an absentee ballot as easy as clicking a button (if you’re not a Princeton student, go to www.whenweallvote.org). I’m proud to be part of this organization as we get closer to the 2020 election. 

I think it is important for Princeton students to be politically engaged because young people like us are the future of the country. Luckily, groups like the ones I described here make it easy to become or remain politically active while at Princeton. 

We’re a few weeks away from the start of the new year, and it certainly seems like this year will look nothing like it ever has before. For first-year students, the start of their Princeton experience may look different than they imagined, and for upperclass students they will face some pretty big changes in the way they know and love campus life.

I know that, as is the case for many things in our current situation, Princeton will not look how we envisioned. It’s tempting to look at the challenges and inconveniences that lie ahead with pessimism. But as I look to the year ahead, I hope that together as a community we can grow and emerge stronger than before. 

I will be a residential college adviser (RCA) in Forbes this fall, mentoring and providing support for a zee (advisee) group of first-years. (If you're in Forbes, check out our welcome video!) This is a role that I’ve looked forward to having since literally before I came to Princeton and although my experience will look different from the way I imagined it, I am trying to find the bright side every day. For example, although I may not be able to host large study breaks, I’m looking forward to getting to know my zees one-on-one. I had a lot of positive experiences with my own RCA, and I hope to be there for my first-years in the way she was for me.   

As I anticipate starting the school year in August, I know that this will be an unprecedented year. Hopefully, things will soon return to normal - but I’m confident that before they do, we will find ways to make this year unique in good ways too. This really will be a college experience like no other. Let’s make it a happy (and healthy) one.

I did not know I was a dancer or how much I loved to dance until I joined DoroBucci African Dance Company, Princeton’s premier African dance group. I first saw DoroBucci perform at Princeton Preview and instantly fell in love with the energy of their moves and the way that they looked like a huge family on stage just having fun. Joining DoroBucci turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made at Princeton and I cannot imagine my first years here without the family I’ve cultivated through DoroBucci. 

DoroBucci is an audition-based group that encourages any and all interested applicants to audition regardless of dance experience. During auditions, the current members of the group taught us two dances, one high energy and another more swaggy and chill. After that, there's a freestyle portion where everyone dances together and just hangs out. Being that I knew nothing about African dance styles and music, I was so nervous. The dancers and leaders of the group really encouraged me to try even if I did not know what I was doing and were able to walk me through moves each step of the way. DoroBucci changed the way I thought about working in a group and helped me see that family and community are as important as getting moves right and performing. I have formed lifelong friendships, found people who will stand by me during my lowest and best moments, been encouraged by my mentors and supporters and made valuable life lessons.

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DoroBucci is a family to me. Oftentimes in high school, we focus on activities and opportunities that we think colleges would like. Well, I’m here to encourage you to try something outside of your comfort zone or your plan. Joining clubs and dance groups on campus have been so important towards my personal and professional development. I’ve learned about team building, leadership, communication, lobbying, advertising and so much more. I’ve learned so much about myself in DoroBucci. The skills we desire and the skills we have can be cultivated and improved in ways that we’ve never imagined on campus. So, allow yourself to learn and grow in whatever you choose to join in college! And if you don't like it, that’s totally okay, but there’s absolutely no harm in trying. 

This past semester, I participated in my second Jewish Learning Fellowship (JLF) through the Center for Jewish Life (CJL). The fellowship was called Let Our People Go: Mass Incarceration, Liberation, and the Passover Story, and it was taught by Rabbi Julie Roth of the CJL and Professor Udi Ofer of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

Professor Ofer is the Deputy National Political Director and Director of the Justice Division at the ACLU, and he has spent his career advocating for criminal justice reform. It was amazing to get to learn about the inequities built into the American mass incarceration system from such an experienced leader in this important area of public policy.

During the fellowship, we discussed the purpose of the criminal justice system, the history of mass incarceration, the role of race, alternatives to mass incarceration, and much more. I hadn’t learned much about criminal justice beforehand, so the fellowship was a real wake-up call to the enormous scale and rampant racism of modern mass incarceration. We then juxtaposed these topics with the Passover story’s themes of suffering and freedom. Rabbi Julie led us in guided readings of the Passover story that made us think about slavery and incarceration in a whole new light. 

Originally, we were supposed to plan and lead a Passover seder based on what we learned during the fellowship. Because of the pandemic, our plans shifted, but we were still able to complete a meaningful final project. We worked in small groups to create a supplement to the Haggadah, the story read at the seder, with text from the Passover story alongside discussion question that related to mass incarceration and criminal justice.

My knowledge about both mass incarceration and Passover grew as a result of this fellowship. The intersection of the two themes was an important reminder of the commitment to social justice ingrained into the Jewish faith. As the problems within the criminal justice system have exploded into the spotlight lately as the result of the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and other Black Americans, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to discuss these topics with passionate students and dedicated experts during the fellowship. 

I am also proud to see the CJL stepping up in this moment to further demonstrate their belief in social justice. Koach, the group of Jewish students in the conservative denomination, ran a successful fundraiser for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. The CJL began a reading group dedicated to books about racism. My favorite Jewish principle is tikkun olam, which means to repair the world. Recent CJL activities, including my JLF program, demonstrate that principle by showing students the importance of dedicating oneself to learning about the problems in society and advocating for equality and change.

When I first came to campus, I didn’t know that much about the town Princeton University was located in. As I started to venture out the FitzRandolph Gates, I got to interact with the local community and beautiful landscape. From the lively atmosphere on Nassau Street to apple-picking at Terhune Orchards, the idyllic town of Princeton is a boon often overlooked.

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Coming from Tegucigalpa, the buzzing capital of Honduras, to the town of Princeton was definitely a transition. While in Tegucigalpa I would get by with a car, in Princeton I can walk or bike to most places, or simply hop on one of the Tiger Transit buses. The University provides transportation through Tiger Transit for students to explore the town. There are many types of activities that students can partake in. Personally, I enjoy going grocery shopping at the Princeton Shopping Center, walking to Nomad Pizza (the best pizza in town!) and going to watch a movie at the Garden Theater. In terms of connecting with nature, Lake Carnegie is on the south end of campus and is extremely beautiful! I often go on runs to the lake and have rented a kayak for a day.  

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I would categorize Princeton as a college town, given how thoroughly students are incorporated into the local community. There is an annual event, Communiversity, in which local artists, merchants and nonprofits convene with student clubs, right in front of the University. My friends and I always look forward to this day because we enjoy eating from food trucks and watching live entertainment. I know that once I graduate, I will not only miss campus but also the town, which is why I have made the effort to take advantage of every opportunity I have to explore the surrounding areas. I must admit that when I was applying to Princeton I thought of its location as mundane and unexciting, but my experience here has disproved my initial assumptions.

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This town is filled with surprises and beautiful scenery that you won’t want to miss out on as a Princeton student.

Lake Carnegie is located at the south end of campus and allows students to experience nature in a unique way. I remember when I first went to the lake during my first year, I was amazed at the picturesque scenery and the variety of activities in which one can partake such as rowing, fishing and running. The best part of the lake is that it is open to local community and the public, so if you ever happen to be on campus, this is a must-visit destination! 

In my free time, I enjoy running around campus, and my favorite trails are the ones next to the lake. Coming to the lake allows me to disconnect from the academic pressure of classes and nurture my relationship with the outdoors. If you are looking for a fun activity, you can rent a kayak with your friends or have a picnic! As someone who grew up in a city, I never had access to such an open space like Lake Carnegie, so I have been taking full advantage of the lake's proximity. 

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I enjoy taking 5-10 minute breaks during my runs to hear the sounds of nature and appreciate my surroundings. You would be surprised at the different number of bird chirps and animal noises! Coming to the lake has improved my mental health and serves as an escape to nature. Recently, I took “ENV327: Investigating an Ethos of Sustainability at Princeton” and learned about the notion of nature deficit disorder, which sustains that as humans spend more time indoors and are further disconnected from nature because of technology, we become more vulnerable to negative moods and reduced attention spans. In order to combat nature deficit disorder, we should take advantage of the outdoors, and Princeton is an ideal place for that! Beyond the lake, the campus is rife with green spaces, ginormous trees, and let's not forget the idyllic Prospect Garden. Whenever I feel stressed out about an exam, or struggle to balance my extracurricular activities, spending time in these green spaces, especially Lake Carnegie, has allowed me to maintain a sense of wellness. 

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I encourage prospective students to ponder on the relationship between campus and nature when researching colleges. When I committed to Princeton, I overlooked the campus location in terms of the outdoors, but the lake has become an integral component of my undergraduate experience. 

When you arrive at Princeton, one of the first bits of information you will receive is a crazy statistic about the percentage of students who will change their concentration from what they had initially planned to study. I remember feeling relieved to know it was okay if I didn’t have a detailed academic plan all settled the first month of my first semester.

I came into Princeton with a diverse array of academic interests. I liked journalism, entrepreneurship, history, religion, politics and public policy. The only thing I had decided on for certain was that I was not interested in science or engineering. Still, as a first-year student, I felt the pressure to know what I was doing, to take classes in “productive” fields and to fill as many requirements as I could my first semester.

One of the most valuable pieces of advice I received that first semester was to take risks -- to take upper level courses with small class sizes and to sign up for classes in subjects I knew little about in departments I had never considered. I was initially dubious. Why would I want to put myself at a disadvantage versus more experienced juniors and seniors? Wouldn’t it make more sense just to take Econ 101?

Yet, as my first semester began to take shape, I saw that taking risks was the right choice. I loved my small seminars – one with six students, another with three. I loved the chance to connect with professors and engage with new topics. I gained new confidence in my ability to approach difficult material in creative ways. 

If I had not been pushed in this way academically, I would never have discovered my ultimate academic passion or been able to take the diversity of classes I have experienced at Princeton. It is for that reason that I chose to become a “Peer Academic Adviser” (PAA) for my residential college — First College. PAAs are upperclass students who are trained to provide academic advice to their peers. We work with specific “Zee” groups (short for “advisee”) within our assigned residential colleges and also serve as important sounding boards for the residential college community as a whole. 

As a PAA, I have the chance to advise first years and sophomores still in the early stages of their Princeton academic journeys. While their academic backgrounds and ultimate goals may differ from mine, and they almost always have different academic interests (I’m a Near Eastern Studies concentrator.), I still feel as if I can help them make informed choices. My experiences, positive and negative, can be leveraged to help students find their passion and take their own risks when setting out on their path.

I look forward to advising sessions during informal study breaks or in more focused settings. Whether it is advising first-years registering for courses for the first time or working with sophomores making final choices about a concentration, there is something very satisfying about acting as a sounding board and giving the kind of advice that has made my Princeton experience so meaningful.

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Even before I arrived at Princeton, I knew that I wanted to study abroad. I have always been curious about travel and experiencing new languages and cultures. My initial plan was to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. I had studied Spanish throughout high school and was keenly interested in the culture and history of Spanish-speaking countries around the world. That said, my academic interests shifted and I decided to concentrate in Near Eastern Studies (NES). 

An essential part of the NES concentration involves studying the languages of the Middle East. As a result, after my first year, I used Princeton funding to travel to Israel to study Hebrew. I had an incredible experience and went back during winter break of sophomore year to continue my studies and then secured a summer job in Tel Aviv. After two language study abroad experiences and a summer spent working abroad, I thought that I would not want to go abroad for another semester. Studying abroad for a semester can seem intimidating. Not only do you have to manage the cultural differences that come with living and studying in another country, but you also must be prepared to leave behind your friends, activities, classes and everything else that feels familiar and safe about Princeton. 

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However, as I entered my junior year, I was offered an incredible chance to study abroad again — this time not in the Middle East but at SOAS University of London, a specialty school for Middle East studies. While it was tough leaving Princeton, I decided to put myself outside my comfort zone and had an amazing experience. Ultimately, while my semester abroad was cut short due to COVID-19, I am still grateful for the opportunity to have the experience.

While being abroad meant that I missed out on certain aspects of Princeton, it also meant that I got to have experiences that I never would have had inside the "Orange Bubble." I was able to pick from a wide variety of classes related to the study of the Middle East and be surrounded by a large cohort of like-minded peers. I had the chance to hone my language skills, live in a city and experience all of the vibrancy of city life London has to offer. I was joined by exchange students from all over Europe and the world. Some of my favorite memories are of late nights spent singing songs with my new friends, switching between English, German, Norwegian, Italian and more.

Finally, one of the most meaningful elements of my study abroad was the learning I got to do outside of the classroom. I did some of my research for my junior independent work in Oxford and Cambridge, and enjoyed seeing the incredible architecture of Scotland on a weekend trip to Edinburgh. I took the train around Europe — visiting the Swiss Alps, walking the streets of Paris and hanging out on the beach in Barcelona. I even managed to make it to Australia on one of our longer breaks from school. For someone who loves traveling, these experiences were truly priceless. 

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All in all, I am beyond grateful for the study abroad experiences that I have had during my time at Princeton. Each one has helped to show me the extent to which Princeton offers every student the opportunity to engage in learning in a variety of meaningful ways.

Like all Princeton students, I was devastated by the announcement that we would have to leave campus to finish the spring semester. So much of the magic of Princeton involves the engaging conversations in class, the accidental encounters with friends, and the beauty of the campus. Although the transition from an in-person class to Zoom has not been the easiest adjustment, it has made me even more grateful for my Princeton experience.

"Zoom University", as some people jokingly call it, hasn't been without its challenges, but I have been impressed by the ingenuity of some of my professors. In one lecture, we were regularly split into breakout rooms to discuss a proposed question, like we would in person, then representatives from each group would present to the class at large. Zoom made it easy for students in my history class to share their screen for their presentation during precept. The McGraw Center continues to help with my problem sets, and I can meet with professors and preceptors in virtual office hours. Last week I wanted to find a resource online through Firestone Library's collections, so I chatted virtually with a librarian. At the end of the day, I am still learning about the principles of microeconomics, the rise of the Civil Rights movement, and the dangers of climate change, just in a different format than I expected.

Various student groups have done a great job keeping the student community intact. The Office of Wintersession and Campus Engagement has offered regular virtual activities, such as discussion groups and virtual movie screenings. The Princeton Student Events Committee even hosted a fun trivia night. As an editor for The Daily Princetonian, I have continued to write and edit important news articles to keep the campus informed. 

Although I can’t be with my friends in person, I still talk to them pretty much every day. Over the course of the past few months we've planned a virtual meet up to officially declare our concentrations all at the same time. We even had a virtual formal, which was just an excuse for us to dress up and be together. Whether through a casual text or a scheduled FaceTime, I know my friends are always there for me.

In the end, the COVID-19 pandemic has made me even more thankful for the 1.75 years I’ve had on campus. When we do return to an in-person semester, I want to truly take advantage of all that Princeton offers us. This pandemic has reminded me to make sure that I don’t take my opportunity to learn and grow as a student and person for granted. 

It can take some time to learn the Princeton lingo and there is a lot! One of the phrases you will hear with some frequency is the CJL or Center for Jewish Life. The CJL is a hub for student life on campus for Jewish and non-Jewish students alike. Here are some important information to know about the CJL and its role on campus before starting your Princeton experience.

1. The CJL is open to everyone! One of the most common misconceptions about the CJL is that it is only open to Jewish students. While the CJL is an important home for Princeton’s vibrant Jewish community, it is a space open to students of all faiths and backgrounds. Lunch at the CJL is always packed with students there to enjoy the food.
2. The CJL has an amazing, fully kosher dining hall….and the food is delicious! The dining hall is slightly smaller than other dining halls on campus. As a result, it has more opportunities for meals prepared especially for you. Moreover, eating at the CJL feels more intimate and familial, making it a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life at Princeton.
3. The CJL is easy to find! Located right next to the Frist Campus Center, it is centrally located and is especially convenient for students in science and engineering classes. This means, that no matter where you are on campus the CJL isn’t far way.
4. The CJL hosts weekly, highly popular Shabbat dinners on Friday nights and they are incredible and open to everyone. Shabbat is the Jewish Sabbath, and dinners on Friday night are an important part of the Shabbat festivities. The dining hall is decorated, the food is very festive and it is an excellent change to enjoy a nice meal with friends while also getting a taste of an important part of Jewish culture.
5. The CJL is a nice space to study. It’s cozy and full of great, often underrated study spots.
6. The CJL hosts weekly study breaks! These are a great chance to enjoy delicious Kosher foods and snacks (think acai bowls) while chatting with friends.
7. The CJL is an important resource for Jewish life on campus. The center works hard to provide Jewish students from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives a meaningful connection to their Jewish identity. From daily religious services, holiday programing, leadership opportunities, travel, and various clubs and groups the CJL serves as an important resource for Princeton’s diverse Jewish community.

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This is just a quick overview of the CJL and some of the ways that you can interact with the center. On a more personal note, the CJL has been an incredibly valuable resource for me and my Jewish identity. I am beyond grateful for the amazing community that I have been able to build through it. If you have questions about the CJL and its role on campus, please feel free to reach out to me.