Public Bathrooms and Community

“Where have you found your community this year?”

Princeton's student housing organization sent out a survey posing this question. I answered in the typical fashion: activities, my co-op, my classes, the friends in my major, etc. Oh, and the bathroom.

For the first two years at Princeton, I enjoyed a private bathroom with my roommate. We reveled in our privacy and often boasted about our private bathroom status. We didn’t want to even think about fighting over showers or wearing shower sandals. At the end of sophomore year, I was accepted into the Edwards Collective, a residential community on campus for those interested in the arts and humanities. I was ecstatic and was only concerned about one thing: a public bathroom. To my surprise, shower sandals aren’t so bad. And I only rarely had to wait to hop in the shower. The horror stories my other friends told didn’t match my experience at all. In fact, some of the best parts of my day were spent there.

The secret? My hallmates were chatty in the bathroom. As we brushed our teeth or washed our faces, we’d swap stories about our days. I looked forward to hearing more about the progression of someone’s senior thesis or seeing new videos of a dance routine. With a few of my hallmates, it was a time to practice my German and discuss deep ecology. With everyone, it was a time of encouragement and sympathy. During finals, every exchange ended with wishes of good luck and gentle admonishments to get some more sleep and to take care of oneself.

Many first-year students want singles and private bathrooms. In my opinion, this mentality reflects how some students first think about success. Upon arrival, you may want to isolate yourself and only focus on your studies. Over time, you start to realize that your success isn’t dependent on others’ failures. In fact, connecting with other people and hearing about their passions is a great way to deepen your education.

So, even those late night talks in robes and sweatpants have value. They’re an integral part of the Princeton experience, and a pleasant reminder that you belong.

Growing Pains

The thing about being a junior is that I feel old.

Suddenly, in my third year here, the students that are younger and newer to this campus than me and my classmates from the Class of 2019 outnumber the students above us that are older and I’ve always hoped wiser. It is a reality that has left me reeling.

At once, I am fulfilled and incredibly happy yet also anxious, envious and hesitant. I feel supported by wonderful, generous friends and I am confident in the balance I have found between fulfilling my obligations to my responsibilities on campus and maintaining my own social life and contact with my friends and communities. Additionally, I have found ways to stay curious and eager throughout my course work as I am nearing many of the goals that I set out to accomplish at Princeton. My life is full but it is full of people, activities and ideas that I love.

At times, I feel an immense sense of envy for the underclassmen I see on campus and for the first-year students in by zee group (advising group). While I sense the ominous horizon of graduation getting closer and closer even three semesters away, they are fortunate to be so early on in their Princeton careers. College flies by. Princeton flies by. They have semesters and semesters to take advantage of new and amazing courses, friends and opportunities ahead of them. They have semesters and semesters to dedicate their time and energy to pursuing the ideas, building friendships and forms of community as well as growing into their values.

But here’s where that envy turns into joy.

Princeton flies by; Princeton has flown by. The past two and a half years have been intense, formative and important. In two years, I have grown into my values, I have embedded myself in strong and supportive communities of caring, generous friends and peers, and I have learned how to learn. I credit a host of incredible, curious and dedicated professors for much of my intellectual growth, but I am also beholden to my friends, peers and classmates for much of that growth. In conversations over dinner, through whispered exchanges in library carrels in the depths of Firestone Library, and in heated debates across late-night snacks during study breaks, I have learned and grown outside the confines of lecture halls and classrooms.

I have a lot to be thankful for and I am overjoyed to know that the underclassmen I envy so much for the time that they have left here, too, will be able to learn and grow here, just as I have.

Off-Campus Internship at the Princeton Animal Hospital

During the semester I had the privilege and opportunity to work as a veterinary intern at the Princeton Animal Hospital (PAH). PAH is only about ten minutes from the University and handles various medical cases for dogs and cats.

At the clinic, I see a wide range of medical cases, since you truly never know what is going to walk through the door. While at first I was mostly observing and learning the ropes, now that I’ve been there for a few months, I’m able to do much more in the lab. I help with blood samples, prepare injections, pull medications, as well as assist during physical examinations. I have learned so much from the time I have spent in the hospital. The vets are incredible and always try to explain the case to me.

While I’m not in a lecture learning material as with traditional university classes, this internship is teaching me the practical skills that will prepare me for veterinary school. I am learning by doing, which is exactly the type of preparation I need. I am verifying this is the field I want to go into, and I am so thankful that I was able to coordinate the internship with my class schedule to make it happen.

Plus, I have to admit, it’s nice being able to get off of campus twice a week and pretend I am in the real world. Oftentimes, I find myself caught up in the Orange Bubble (how we fondly refer to campus), unable to get off campus and explore the surrounding area. Though I am only traveling ten minutes from campus, it is still a nice way for me to engage with the local community.

This internship is just one of the many examples of ways in which Princeton students are engaging with the local community. I have friends who tutor off campus, work for the hospice at the nearby hospital, babysit for professors and other townspeople, and intern at other local companies. It is definitely feasible to have an off-campus job if you are willing to put the work into it. For some, that may not be of interest, but if there is an organization or company that you really want to work with, it is possible and 100% worth it.

Studying Abroad and Social Life

Last semester, I spent the semester abroad in Panama. I was part of a unique program run through the ecology and evolutionary biology department. When I first started thinking about going abroad, one of my biggest concens was "FOMO": fear of missing out. Would I miss out on fun events with my friends? Would I be sad that I wouldn’t attend spring events such as the annual dodgeball tournament or Communiversity (arts festival)? Would I be upset when I saw Facebook photos of my friends all having a great time without me?

However, once I went to Pamana, I quickly realized that none of those fears mattered. Sure, my friends were having a good time without me, and yes, I was missing out on events, but I was also doing incredible things. When my friends were having a movie night, I was busy celebrating Carnival (a celebration with parades, floats, music and dancing) and going hiking in a rainforest. When they were going out to dinner on Nassau Street, I was busy snorkeling and going to karaoke parties. I was having unique and special experiences that I wouldn’t have been able to have anywhere else. Plus, I was making new friends and getting to explore a new country.

Another thing that really helped was that I had WiFi and could stay in touch with my friends and family. I didn’t get to talk to them everyday, as I might have back at school, but I was able to Skype when I had free time. I think in some ways it may have even been more special because I had the designated time to catch up with them rather than constantly seeing them in passing at school and remaking how we wanted to get a meal and catch up. Also, for any of you with significant others, rest assured that your relationship can remain and potentially even become stronger while you are abroad.

Upon arrival back at campus, I was also a little frightened about what it would be like. Would people remember me? Would people even have noticed that I was gone? Yet, as soon as I stepped back on campus in May and visited the clubs and organizations where I spent the majority of my time, my fears vanished. I was immediately welcomed back and people constantly came up to me asking how my semester was. It was such a great feeling knowing that my friends did miss me and that they wanted to hear all about my experiences.

All in all, I would honestly say that my social life was not affected by my semester abroad, and if anything, it improved. I met a new group of friends whom with I was able to share a crazy and meaningful experience. Now that I’ve experienced the first half of a real semester back at Princeton, it feels like nothing has changed. I don’t feel out of touch with any aspect of campus life. Things feel normal, despite having been away for a semester.

Service at Princeton

Princeton's informal motto is "Princeton in the Nation's Service and the Service of Humanity." Revised last year to unite part of former President Woodrow Wilson’s “In the Nation’s Service” speech given on the 150th anniversary of the University with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s (Class of 1976) call in her 2014 Alumni Day speech for the University to expand its commitment to include all of “humanity,” the motto reflects the University’s dedication to service. Though "informal," I have always felt that this motto imbues Princeton students with a particular understanding of the duties that we collectively bear to commune amongst each other, sharing our knowledge dedicating our time and energy to our peers and communities. The language and values surrounding this commitment pervade student culture and student attitudes, promoting a culture of dedication to others.

At Princeton, some of my most valuable experiences have manifested through my engagement with different forms of service.

For the past two years I have volunteered as an English as a Second Language (ESL) tutor with a Student Volunteers Council group, El Centro, which runs through the Pace Center for Civic Engagement. Although many of the students are immigrants who have come from diverse cultures and countries, they are all united in their passionate drive and desire to become a part of their communities; to find ways to communicate across intolerance and insensitivity; and to improve their access to opportunities in this country. This kind of service keeps me grounded. It reminds me to dedicate my energy to others and it affords me with perspective.

Serving a community outside of my own provides me with the space to reflect on the privileges we are afforded as students and reminds me to constantly check and question the way I am prioritizing my time and energy. However, service manifests in multiple forms. Service is the act of giving and of dedicating your time, energy, values and knowledge to others, and these acts, too, can provide important value within our campus community.

Student leaders include Residential College Advisers (RCAs) and Assistant Residential College Advisers (ARCAs), Outdoor Action leaders and Community Action leaders; peer leaders across campus include Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources & Education (SHARE) Peers, Peer Health Advisors (PHAs), LGBTQIA Peer Educators, Carl Fields Center Fellows, Peer Academic Advisors (PAAs), and many others; student group leaders, and student government officers dedicate their time and energy to the Princeton community in equally meaningful ways. As an RCA and a leader in several student groups, I have found great value in providing guidance to younger students and working to model community values.

Service, in all its forms, has been a formative part of my Princeton experience, and I have found great value in the various roles that I play on campus, contributing to the Princeton community and to my peers.

Princeton’s informal motto informs each choice that I make as a member of this campus. These choices reflect values, and in each choice and each decision I make, I either reinforce those values or diminish them.

A Community Like No Other

“Hi, I’m sorry to bother you, but I saw your ‘Princeton Dad’ shirt and I just had to ask, do you currently have a student at Princeton?” This was how I started a conversation with a total stranger last summer when I was working in Key Largo, Florida. I had been living in the Keys all summer and had not seen or heard about any other person related to Princeton in months. Therefore, when I saw this man who was visiting the same beach, I just had to find out if I knew his son or daughter. Well, it turns out his daughter was a graduate student in the MAE (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) Department and I had no idea who she was. Yet, by reaching out to him, we ended up having a great conversation about Princeton and the research his daughter was doing. Although I had just met this father I felt connected to my Princeton family.

While I do remember the lesson my mother told me about refraining from talking to strangers, there is something about Princeton that encourages me to reach out to other members of our community. I love hearing the stories from alumni about their experiences and how the campus has changed since they graduated. I also love meeting fellow students whom I had not had the chance to meet earlier on in my Princeton career. Sometimes, my attempts at conversation leave me looking silly, but other times, they have helped me tremendously.

For example, when I was recently studying abroad in Panama, I was given the contact information of a family who could help me find Shabbat services and kosher food while I was abroad. I had absolutely no connection to them apart from the fact that one of their sons was a Class of ’06 graduate and that they were Jewish. I sent an email introducing myself, explaining how I would be studying in Panama for a few months and asked tons of questions of what life was like there. Even though they had long since moved away from home, this family took me in and became my adopted Panamanian family. They invited me over for holidays, gave me warm food and let me stay at their house. I am thankful that Princeton provided me with the opportunity to be introduced to this family.

In a slightly different example, when I flew back to campus in January, I was waiting for my luggage at baggage claim when a girl came up to me and asked if I went to Princeton. She had seen the orange Princeton bag tag on my suitcase and figured there was a good chance I was a fellow Princetonian. She explained that she was a first-year student and had never gone back to campus on her own. She was looking for someone to help her. Of course, I was more than willing to explain the train process and go with her back to campus. We ended up talking the entire ride back and now we are good friends on campus.

I’ve met so many fellow Princetonians out and about. I can’t tell you how many wonderful conversations I have had with total strangers in the airport because of my Princeton sweatshirt. I have met alumni, fellow classmates and even professors from the University. My conversations are always engaging and I learn something new about the University every time I meet someone.

Furthermore, our alumni network is so helpful when searching for jobs and internship opportunities. Alumni are always willing to provide advice and even help with job opportunities. While I personally haven’t taken advantage of this resource yet, I know in the coming years once I graduate, this will be extremely helpful.

It may be hard to understand, but once you become a Princeton Tiger, you are able to connect with an entire community of people offering their experience and guidance. These people may provide engaging conversation while you’re stuck on an airplane or they may be a wonderful resource when you are abroad. Whatever the case may be, they’re proud to be a Princetonian, and I am too.

Communiversity, TruckFest and Dodgeball

Every year in April the Arts Council of Princeton, Princeton undergraduates and the local Princeton community come together to host Communiversity ArtsFest. This event features more than 200 booths in which artists showcase their original artwork and crafts, local businesses sell fun and unique merchandise and chefs prepare delicious culinary treats. There are also six stages of continuous live entertainment highlighting local, as well as student, performers. Communiversity draws more than 40,000 people and is one of Central New Jersey’s largest and longest running cultural events.

This event is something Princeton students look forward to every year. It’s a great way for students to interact with and support the local community. It is also a way in which certain clubs on campus are able to highlight their work to a broader audience. For example, the Rocketry Club for the past few years has demonstrated rocket launches for visitors. Plus, there is always at least one club sponsoring a pie-in-your-face competition, which is always hilarious.

Another fun event that occurs in spring is TruckFest. The University brings in ten to twenty different food trucks for students to try. From gourmet hot dogs to cheesecake on a stick, TruckFest seems to have it all. Though the dining hall food here is delicious, there is nothing quite like trying fried mac and cheese or a nutella infused waffle.

Lastly, the annual dodgeball tournament is a campus favorite. From 8 p.m. until whenever the last man standing is hit, student groups compete against one another in epic dodgeball games. There is pizza, music and lots of camaraderie as students try to win games for their team. Games are divided into large, medium and small groups, with a winner in each category. Residential colleges, eating clubs, sports teams and other student groups compete to assert their dominance in the grand game of dodgeball. Since most students are involved in many clubs and organizations, it is not uncommon to see someone running from one side of the gym to go play for another group he or she is a part of. It's a really fun event that most students look forward to each year.

Just Want to Have Fun

Often times on my Orange Key tours, visitors question me about what Princeton students do for fun. “You don’t study all day, do you?” they ask. To this I laugh and respond that while we do study, we also know how to relax and have fun.

One of the ways my friends and I socialize is through the events hosted by the Princeton Student Events Committee (PSEC). Nearly every week, PSEC hosts an event to bring the community together. Over the past year, I’ve attended bingo, a fall carnival, a painting class, open ice night at Baker Rink, stuffed animal making (one of the biggest events of the semester) and so many other fun events. For instance, at Winterfest, I had the opportunity to stuff my own penguin, nosh on hot chocolate and tasty cookies, take photos in a photo booth with my friends, and even make my own snow globe. PSEC events are great because all of the supplies are free, and it’s a chance to take a fun study break and relax with my friends.

In addition to PSEC events, the undergraduate student government hosts free movies at the Garden Theater every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening. The movie changes every week, but it’s always completely free and includes popcorn and a soda. When the movie was “La La Land,” more than 200 students attended each showing.

There are also multiple student productions occurring every week. Between attending my friends’ a cappella arch sings, theater performances and dance recitals, I am kept quite busy.

Ayla Allen Dancing in a Body Hype Performance

Eating clubs and student groups also host activities and other events for their members. This past year, Quad, (my eating club) hosted a trip to Six Flags, had a Nerf gun battle, went to the local apple orchard and even brought a ball pit into the club.

If all of these events and performances aren’t enough, the class governments will also host study breaks occasionally with fancy food and giveaways. There is also the annual dodgeball tournament, Truckfest (where we have lots of food trucks come to campus), visiting lecturers, Broadway trips, improv shows, 5k runs, fashion shows, dances and so much more!

Needless to say, there are always lots of things happening on campus to relax and have fun.

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