Dear Tories,
I’ve finally reached the august state of being a Princeton senior and I’m happy to report that the start of a new school year still has the trappings of a fresh start. Whenever I step foot in this here “Orange Bubble,” I can’t shake the feeling of nervous excitement which first washed over me three years ago. The opportunities, including the ability to reinvent yourself, feel endless.
While this is not the start of a new managing board, I write to you as the Tory’s publisher for the first time, having recently been selected after my friend and predecessor, Joaquim Brooks, left the post due to personal reasons. Though he’s stepped down from the publication’s top post, he will remain an integral member of the team as an opinion editor. My first act in office was to name Akhil Rajasekar to succeed me as the Tory’s editor-in-chief. He will directly supervise the content staff.
With a fresh start also comes the opportunity to clarify a new vision. Fortunately, I can build upon my musings from the two letters from the editor-in-chief I penned last semester. Ultimately, the Tory is a collection of individuals and communities on Princeton’s campus who find expression on our pages and interact with our intellectual output. Our readers are Tories just as much as our writers and members of our managing board. The Tory is therefore always in a state of flux. However, the principles which unite us are not. We’re committed to protecting that which has existed before. We are also committed to measured and prudent change when necessary. I urge everyone to read my coverage of President Eisgruber’s remarks at convocation, included in this issue. Eisgruber’s remarks affirm and promote diversity of thought, which is and always will be the Tory’s governing value.
At the core of my plans for this publication is a premium I’ve placed on bold ideas and institutional growth. It’s my pleasure to see our newest column, Ask Anscombe, printed next to The Lawsplainer, another column introduced in the Tory last semester. Both advance bold arguments on thorny topics. The Anscombe team grapples with the issue of pornography, arguing that it causes real harm to one’s personal and romantic relationships. In The Lawsplainer, Akhil briefs us on why he thinks birthright citizenship is unconstitutional. In order to counter its proponents, Akhil carefully contextualizes the Citizenship Clause of the Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment. I should also note that there is a practical function to introducing these columns: they cement a lasting relationship between the Tory and two other campus organizations – the Anscombe Society and the Federalist Society. Both are committed to the principles mentioned above.
Coinciding with our internal changing of the guard is an issue fittingly centered on America’s role as leader of the free world. It’s here that I pass the baton to our opinion staff writers, who all attempt to clarify a vision for America’s leadership of the free world. Tyler Eddy opens the issue with a forceful argument for a moral interventionism when it comes to foreign and military policy. Danny Schwarzhoff is adamant that we must turn to the next frontier and commit ourselves to a second space race. Last but never least is Jacob Brown, who eloquently wards off pronouncements that America is in decline. The shining city on a hill holds firm!
Finally, some words of wisdom to the great class of 2023: always hit the ground running and always, always challenge yourselves. Welcome to the best place of all! Welcome to Princeton!
Sincerely,
Jeff Zymeri ’20
Publisher
The Princeton Tory
Graphic design by Grace Koh ’20.
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