Name: Nora Gross

Hometown: New York City

Activities at Princeton: Raks Odalisque belly dancing, figure skating team, Writing Center Head Fellow, Senior Photographer for The Daily Princetonian, member of the Intramural Working Group

Before Princeton, I was passionate about public service; I spent all of high school completely devoted to student government and community service projects. When I came to Princeton, I decided to put most of those things on hold so that I could make the most out of the academic opportunities here. But somehow, I couldn't stop myself from jumping into new things.

I grew at Princeton by learning to take myself seriously. Seriously! I’ve always considered my huge appetite for trying new things and then getting ‘hooked’ on them. But particularly in the past year, I’ve learned that the outside-of-class activities I do and the classes I take “just for fun” are not necessarily so unrelated to my more “serious” work. I’ve grown in my capacity for combining my interests; I’ve pushed myself in lots of new directions, and learned to trust the moments when I feel truly excited by something new. Problems do not confine themselves to subject areas - they are inter-disciplinary. The problems that interest me and the questions I like to ponder, across fields and areas of the University - and that is something that is exciting for me and tremendously exciting about Princeton!

I supported “cross-pollination” by trying new things, but always taking opportunities to learn more about cultures and races other than my own. I am part of a Middle Eastern dance group, pursuing a certificate in African American studies, and doing my junior independent work on topics related to race in art. Additionally, I’ve tried to use my interest in photography to explore other parts of campus that I would have never had access to: for instance, photographing Princeton athletics and traveling with the team to games at other schools, and collaborating with DiSiac last spring to create a story on stage with both dance and images. And tutoring at the Writing Center has given me the chance to read and discuss papers about topics I might never have studied on my own.

After reflecting on my experience at Princeton, I have concluded that there is too much here for me to possibly do or experience in four years. I am trying to make the most of the next two: meet as many people as possible, try new things, take risks, and study the things that excite me even if I’m not sure why.

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