Courtesy of Princeton University
Sunday, Sep. 8 marked the start of the 2019-2020 academic year, with University freshmen being introduced to campus through an array of Princeton traditions that date back to 1802. The class of 2023 first gathered in the chapel for an interfaith service before marching through FitzRandolph Gate, officially entering campus. The service’s highlight was an address by President Christopher Eisgruber ‘83, who used the words of late author and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison – the Robert F. Goheen Professor in the Humanities, Emeritus – as a lens to stress values central to the University’s mission.
It was Eisgruber’s first major address since last spring’s end-of-year turmoil, which saw students protesting the University’s handling of Title IX proceedings. At the class of 2019’s commencement events, some University students turned their backs on both Baccalaureate day speaker George Will as well as Eisgruber himself.
“One of Professor Morrison’s lesser-known achievements is that she wrote one of the best essays ever composed about Princeton University,” explained Eisgruber, referring to “The Place of the Idea; The Idea of the Place,” which Morrison read in front of Nassau Hall to commemorate the University’s 250th anniversary in 1996.
According to Eisgruber, the central theme of Morrison’s essay was the idea that the wisdom of the dead and the energy of the living merge to become a tradition that informs the present and shapes the future. Eisgruber expressed his hope that incoming freshmen would reflect upon this theme.
Touching upon hot-button issues in the Trump era, Eisgruber argued that some of Morrison’s words from the essay would resonate now as if written this month.
“[Morrison] reminded her listeners, for example, that Princeton’s mission depended upon…‘encounters and collaborations among and between strangers from other neighborhoods and strangers from other lands,’” Eisgruber said.
“[Additionally,] she warned us that the University’s values would be put at risk if the world were to become…‘overwhelmed by fear and mediocrity, by xenophobia – in other words, by animosity toward foreigners – and by mendacity – in other words by a disregard for facts,” Eisgruber continued.
Noting Morrison’s conviction that a premier liberal arts education must see to it that students and faculty face each other in “personal conference and intimate counsel,” Eisgruber also brought this year’s pre-Read, which focuses on the distractions of digital technology, into the conversation.
Eisgruber then attempted to add another dimension to Morrison’s words, stressing the importance of being exposed to fundamentally different perspectives and opinions.
“If we genuinely prize ‘conscience [above] orthodoxy,’ we must not only tolerate but welcome reasoned arguments that challenge our own cherished opinions or viewpoints,” explained Eisgruber. “We must have the courage to state opinions even when they are unpopular in our own community [and] we must have the integrity to respect those who offer opinions that are unpopular with us.”
Eisgruber’s words continued an articulated commitment to freedom of expression. Last year, Eisgruber endorsed a statement by the Association of American Universities affirming the importance of free speech on campus. Freedom of expression was also the theme of last year’s pre-Read, chosen annually by Eisgruber for the incoming class.
“You cannot really learn or grow if everything is always comfortable,” Eisgruber asserted.
Before University freshmen were released to a medley of activities, one of which is the traditional Step Sing, Eisgruber had some parting words.
“[My colleagues and I] know that you will infuse living energy into this place from, as Toni Morrison said, many neighborhoods and many lands,” Eisgruber said. “We know, too, that wherever you come from, each of you belongs here. We are delighted to see you and we take great joy in saying: Welcome to Princeton!”
University freshmen responded positively to Eisgruber’s speech, explaining that it reinforced why they chose to come to Princeton in the first place.
“I came to college to engage with ideas and challenge my beliefs. I came to Princeton for a faculty who would support me in this endeavor,” explained College Republicans co-President Adam Hoffman ’23. “President Eisgruber’s opening address affirmed that I chose the right place.”
Bella Hubble ‘23 liked the fact that Eisgruber used Toni Morrison as a focal point.
“I really enjoyed how [President] Eisgruber reflected on the impact that Toni Morrison had on the Princeton community,” Hubble said.
“I especially liked how he touched on Morrison’s firm conviction of the importance of freedom of thought because it conveyed to the student body that all forms of intellectual discussion should be welcomed and encouraged regardless of the political ideology they are affiliated with,” Hubble added.
News Writer Andrew Tufillaro ’22 contributed reporting for this piece.
Copyright © 2024 The Princeton Tory. All rights reserved.