<p>Princeton's freshman class has the highest percentage of black students in the Ivy League with 9.4 percent, just ahead of Harvard's 9.3 percent and Yale's 9.2 percent, the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education (JBHE) announced last week. Princeton also topped the journal's Ivy League list for the biggest increase in black student enrollment since last year, with a 38 percent jump.</p>
<p>"We had a larger and more diverse applicant pool last year than in other years ... and we were able to admit more black students," Dean of Admissions Janet Rapelye said in an email. "We also had more of the admitted students choosing Princeton last April. Each year is different, so we have no predictions for this year. One of our goals is to build a multicultural community, so we are currently recruiting a broad and deep applicant pool for 2010."</p>
<p>And why are we so proud of this? I'd rather attend an institution that accepts the best minds regardless of ethnicity. In fact, I'm distressed that the vast majority of the black students at Princeton are rather upppity and provide little to no actual diversity. Let's worry about other battles, rather than tout trivial facts.</p>
<p>I'm distressed that Prefontaine just used the world "upppity" to describe most black students. Regardless of how you feel about affirmative action, to somehow feel cheated that your black classmates aren't "authentic" enough to fit your stereotypes of their race is patently unfair and arrogant.</p>
<p>Cornell West and Henry Louis Gates Jr......defected from Harvard and now will be needing black students.......why don't you focus on the need to feed the black studies program.</p>
<p>gates hasn't defected to princeton, at least not yet. he did, however, spend a term at the institute for advanced studies in princeton, NJ last year. perhaps you're thinking of anthony appiah, who followed west to old nassau and who gave the freshman address this year. a couple other professors from harvard's once top-rated african-american studies department have since left for other schools like chicago and stanford.</p>
<p>Gates is stepping down in July 2006. Last year, Gates hired five professors, and this year he expects to make several more hires, many of them in the department's newer area of focus, African studies.</p>
<p>Although I commend them for having more black students and whatnot, acknowledging such a thing makes it seem as if enrollment was increased just to ensure more black students would be enrolled and their reputation would increase.</p>
<p>It is sort of like "Hey guys! We are the good guys. We have more black people."</p>
<p>I don't know if that is misleading, but the situation in general just rubs me the wrong way.</p>
<p>Doesn't it dawn on any of you that you might have it backwards? That perhaps with this new faculty more black students WANT to come to Princeton? You guys are supposed to be the hope for the new generation. Sheesh.</p>
<p>It's absurd to say that West et al are needy for black students. While I am sure they welcome African-Americans, in fact they attract huge numbers of students of all races. West has office hour appointments booked up for months in advance. </p>
<p>And although I find the numbers reporting to have a dehumanizing quality, I think it's important for people to know the facts about Princeton.</p>