Special Opportunities and Facilities
University Chapel
The religious interests of members of the University are served by the dean and associate deans of religious life and the Princeton University Chapel, working together with faculty and administrators on matters relating to the religious and spiritual needs of students, and campus ministers who serve students, faculty, and staff of particular faith groups. The Center for Jewish Life operates under the direction of the Hillel rabbi, who coordinates the work of a variety of Jewish organizations on campus (see page 535). The following religious organizations are represented by campus ministers: Westminster Foundation (Presbyterian), Aquinas Institute (Roman Catholic), B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation (Jewish), Concordia Society (Lutheran), Episcopal Church at Princeton, Unitarian Universalist Campus Community, Orthodox Christian Fellowship, Southern Baptist Chaplaincy, Wesley Foundation (Methodist), Princeton Evangelical Fellowship, and Manna Christian Fellowship. Student organizations on campus include the Muslim Students’ Association, Yavneh, Seventh-Day Adventists, Baha’i Club, Athletes in Action, Hindu Satsangam, Buddhist Student Group, Christian Science Organization, and Latter-Day Saints.
An ecumenical Christian service is held in the University Chapel on Sundays at 11 a.m. during the academic year and at 10 a.m. in the summer. Hallelujah, a worship service in the African American tradition, is held at 1 p.m. on Sundays during the academic year in Murray-Dodge Hall West Room. The Chapel Choir, which sings at chapel services during term and presents several concerts during the year, consists of a wide range of students. In addition to worship services, weddings, and University convocations, special events such as organ concerts, vocal concerts, jazz vespers, films, and theatrical productions take place in the chapel. Various denominations also hold regular services, and weekly study and discussion sessions are sponsored by the various groups. The Office of Religious Life and affiliated chaplains, working on an ecumenical and interfaith basis, cooperate on a number of special activities.
The Religious Life Council comprises undergraduate and graduate students who represent diverse communities of faith at Princeton. The council provides visibility for the strength and richness of religious life on campus, as well as valuable educational resources for the University community.
Kathryn W. and Shelby Cullom Davis ’30 International Center
The responsibilities of the Davis International Center, which is located in the Frist Campus Center, are twofold: to answer the special needs of the University’s international students and visiting scholars, and to provide a focal point for intercultural exchanges and international understanding on and off the Princeton campus.
The center’s more than 200 community and campus volunteers serve as English conversation tutors, host families, and community resource persons. Members of the Friends of the International Center organize and assist in the center’s many service projects.
Cooperating with academic departments, residential colleges, individual students, campus organizations, local schools, and area TV studios, the staff and students of the center initiate a variety of social, cultural, educational, and service programs for the campus and local communities. The center programs foster a sense of larger community for Princetonians, and they facilitate the expression of concerns and perspectives by members of this culturally diverse campus. For further information, call (609) 258-5006 or visit www.princeton.edu/~intlctr.
Center for Jewish Life
The Center for Jewish Life (CJL) is the foundation of the Jewish campus community for students, faculty, and staff at Princeton University. The center is formally affiliated with Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. Jewish life thrives on the Princeton campus as never before, and the pluralistic, inclusive environment, and relaxed atmosphere at the CJL is conducive to the comfortable exploration and expression of Judaism in different ways. Any student on campus may take part in the diverse spectrum of activities, which include religious, cultural, and social programming. The CJL also holds a kosher dining hall, open to all Princeton University ID cardholders.
For more information about holiday services, daily Orthodox services, and weekly Conservative/Egalitarian and Reform services, as well as details about the center’s programs, visit www.princetonhillel.org.
Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding
An integral part of the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students, the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding focuses on enriching and enhancing the Princeton experience for students by hosting programs that explore issues of diversity, equity, and cultural pluralism.
The programming of the center reaches beyond its walls to educate and engage the broader University community regarding issues of cultural pluralism and to encourage wider community participation. Activities and programs that enrich campus life, while contributing to the advancement of democratic inclusion, social justice, and meaningful equality also enhance the multicultural consciousness and empowerment of students.
The staff and students who serve the center encourage and support the exploration of diverse heritages, values, and cultural experiences by offering a wide range of co-curricular activities and programs during the academic year, including faculty/student lunches, ethnic celebrations, speakers series, campus community dinners, workshops, presentations, lectures, dialogue groups, art exhibits, movies and film festivals, support groups, social gatherings, study groups/study breaks, off-campus outings, and more. For further information, call (609) 258-5494 or visit www.princeton.edu/~caf.
Women’s Center
The Women’s Center, located in the Frist Campus Center, provides a forum for the exploration of women’s issues from many perspectives. The center was founded in 1971, soon after the coeducation of Princeton University, to improve the quality of life for all women at Princeton. Today, the Women’s Center provides a supportive atmosphere for women, creates educational opportunities for all members of the Princeton community, generates discussion about issues concerning women, and promotes institutional and social change in order to expand opportunities for women at the University and beyond.
In collaboration with campus organizations and administrative offices, the Women’s Center staff and students offer educational, social, and cultural programs. These programs are designed to raise consciousness and promote discussion on issues concerning women from all social classes, racial and ethnic groups, abilities, and sexual orientations. Students, staff, and other members of the community work collaboratively to plan annual programs; to organize discussion groups; and to develop other projects and initiatives based on their interests and institutional needs. Students who participate in the organization of these activities increase their knowledge and develop skills in program planning, leadership, and time management.
The resources of the Women’s Center include a resource library, a comfortable meeting space, and staff members who can make referrals and work with individuals and groups. For further information, call (609) 258-5565 or visit www.princeton.edu/~womenctr.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Center
Princeton’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Center, located in the Frist Campus Center, works to create a safe and supportive environment by providing educational opportunities and advocating for the needs and concerns of LGBT students. The goal is to enhance the campus community and ensure the advancement of students’ academic pursuits by creating an open and affirming environment void of homophobia, heterosexism, and gender bias. The center provides programming, student advising, and training and consultation for the entire campus community.
The center holds weekly educational and social programs that range from large lectures and lunch discussion to films and coffeehouses. It also provides a home for the LGBT campus organizations, including the Pride Alliance, Princeton’s primary undergraduate LGBT organization, and a number of LGBT discussion groups, including a group specifically for first-year students. In addition, the center houses an extensive library of books and magazines on a variety of LGBT topics. The LGBT Center is a safe space to talk, listen, be supported, and, most important, be yourself. For more information, visit www.princeton.edu/lgbt.
McCarter Theatre Center
Recipient of the 1994 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, McCarter Theatre Center, located at the corner of College Road and University Place (across from the Dinky train station), is one of the nation’s most active cultural centers, presenting world-class theater, dance, classical music, jazz, and world music. Its acclaimed theater series, under the leadership of artistic director Emily Mann, fosters new work and presents innovative interpretations of classic literature. Significant productions include the world premieres of Edward Albee’s Me, Myself, and I, Christopher Durang’s Miss Witherspoon, Dael Orlandersmith’s Yellowman (2002 Pulitzer Prize finalist), Emily Mann’s Having Our Say (three Tony Award nominations, including best play and best director), Regina Taylor’s Crowns, Athol Fugard’s Sorrows and Rejoicings, Electra (Tony nomination for best revival), and the OBIE Award-winning revival of Albee’s All Over. McCarter is also home to the Princeton University Triangle Club. Students receive substantial discounts on tickets (as low as $10 for theater series admissions), and some find part-time work at the theater. Princeton University’s “Passport to the Arts” vouchers are accepted. In 2003, McCarter opened the 350-seat Roger S. Berlind Theatre with Anna in the Tropics, the 2003 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Nilo Cruz. For more information, call (609) 258-2787 or visit www.mccarter.org.
Musical Activities
All forms of serious music-making are actively encouraged at Princeton, and there are many opportunities for qualified students to participate in concerts. Most of the work done in University ensembles is extracurricular; however, the Department of Music offers numerous opportunities for performance in conjunction with courses. Performance and rehearsal facilities include Taplin Auditorium, a 190-seat recital hall in Fine Hall; Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall, the University’s main performance space; and the Woolworth Center of Musical Studies.
Private vocal and instrumental instruction is available through a program managed by the Department of Music. This instruction is not part of the curriculum, and the cost is not covered by tuition. However, for departmental concentrators and students accepted into the Program in Musical Performance, the music department subsidizes the entire cost of weekly lessons with teachers under contract to the department. The department also subsidizes part of the cost of weekly lessons for other students under certain conditions. Auditions, contracts, and scheduling for students taking lessons under this program are handled by the department.
The Princeton University Glee Club Concert Choir (Richard Tang Yuk, director) is the oldest vocal ensemble at Princeton and the concert choir at the University. The choir has toured Europe, South America, and the Far East and has performed with major United States orchestras. The choir is composed of about 55 graduate and undergraduate students admitted by audition each year. Recent performances have included Brahms’s Requiem, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Mozart’s Requiem. The choir performs with the Harvard and Yale concert choirs each fall and presents a holiday concert in December. In the spring term the choir presents concerts of major choral works with the orchestra at Richardson Auditorium on the Princeton campus. The choir has international concert tours every other year. Members of the choir receive subsidized private vocal lessons. Auditions are held in the fall before classes begin. For more information, call the Department of Music at (609) 258-4238.
The Princeton University Chamber Choir (Richard Tang Yuk, director) is an ensemble of 14 mixed voices that sing a range of challenging music from the medieval period through the 20th century. This ensemble performs in concert (as a separate ensemble) with the Princeton University Glee Club as well as its own concert series. The choir demands a high level of musicianship and a commitment to exacting performance standards. Admission is by audition. Freshmen and sophomores admitted to the Chamber Choir must also be members of the Concert Choir. Recent repertoire have included the Fauré Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Stravinsky’s Mass, and Carissimi’s Jephte. Members of the Chamber Choir receive subsidized private vocal lessons. For more information, call the Department of Music at (609) 258-4238.
The Princeton University Chapel Choir (Penna Rose, director) is an auditioned group of 70 to 80 paid singers who provide music for the weekly Sunday chapel services, Opening Exercises, Baccalaureate, the Service of Remembrance, and special memorial services. The choir also gives two major concerts a year in the 2,000-seat Gothic University Chapel and is frequently featured with the 139-rank Mander organ.
The Chapel Choir is open to graduate and undergraduate students who audition for membership. Recently performed works include Duke Ellington’s music from the Sacred Concerts, Bach’s Magnificat and Christmas Oratorio, Vaughan Williams’s The First Nowell, Dave Brubeck’s The Gates of Justice sung with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, and the cantata Alexander Nevsky by Sergei Prokofiev, sung in conjunction with the movie of the same name. The choir sang Vaughan Williams’s Dona Nobis Pacem and Serenade to Music at Carnegie Hall in 2005.
In addition to providing music for services in the chapel, the choir sponsors the showing of the silent movie, Phantom of the Opera, with organ accompaniment, and the annual Messiah sing in December. For further information, call Penna Rose at (609) 258-3654.
The Princeton University Orchestra (Michael Pratt, conductor) is a select group of 95 members composed of undergraduate and graduate students. Selection is by audition; candidates are asked to perform portions of a prepared work, including an assigned orchestral excerpt that is made available prior to the audition. Past programs have included symphonies by Mahler; Stravinsky’s Firebird, Petrouchka, and Le Sacre du Printemps; symphonies by Beethoven, Brahms, and Schumann; Strauss’s Also Sprach Zarathustra; and new works by Princeton composers. Recent seasons have included international tours to the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, England, Scotland, Wales, Spain, and Portugal.
The Princeton University Sinfonia is a group for those instrumentalists who do not have the experience to qualify for the University Orchestra, yet who are interested in orchestral playing.
The Princeton University Jazz Ensemble program (Anthony D. J. Branker, director) offers a number of outstanding jazz performance groups. Currently, the program features one 17-piece big band (Concert Jazz Ensemble) and an ever-changing variety of small groups, which have included the Jazz Composers Collective, Wayne Shorter Ensemble, Crossing Borders Improvisational Music Ensemble, Afro-Latin Ensemble, Jazz Messengers Ensemble, Ornette Coleman Ensemble, Ellington/Strayhorn Ensemble, Fusion Ensemble, and the Avant Garde Ensemble. Princeton’s Monk/Mingus Ensemble was named winner of Down Beat magazine’s Student Music Award for best college jazz instrumental group and Ensemble X was selected by Down Beat as the outstanding performance winner in the jazz instrumental group category. In 2007, the jazz program received its third national prize from Down Beat when pianist Julia Brav, a member of the Class of 2008, was awarded outstanding performance honors in the best college jazz soloist category.
In 2008, the University Jazz Composers Collective traveled to Hong Kong to perform at the Vibe Jazz and Live Music Club, and in 2006 visited Estonia for a series of concerts. Over the years, the award-winning Concert Jazz Ensemble has dedicated itself to performing the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. The ensemble has presented such works as: The Far East Suite and The New Orleans Suite with the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra; Ellington’s extended orchestral composition, A Tone Parallel to Harlem with the Delaware Valley Philharmonic Orchestra and the Princeton University Orchestra; New World A Comin’ with the Princeton University Orchestra; The Sacred Concert Music of Duke Ellington with the Princeton University Chapel Choir as well as with the University Glee Club and Gospel Ensemble; the all-Strayhorn program of big band music titled, A Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn; as well as the Ellington/Strayhorn collaborative adaptation of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suites Nos. 1 & 2.
Princeton’s jazz program sponsors master class residencies and features its ensembles in concert performances with jazz artists such as Jimmy Heath, Clark Terry, Phil Woods, Jon Faddis, Slide Hampton, Frank Foster, Conrad Herwig, Oliver Lake, Terence Blanchard, Bob Mintzer, Antonio Hart, Stanley Jordan, Ralph Peterson, and Steve Nelson. Qualified students have the opportunity to pursue further studies in jazz performance through the Certificate Program in Musical Performance. For additional information, contact Anthony D. J. Branker at (609) 258-2219 or e-mail branker@princeton.edu.
The Princeton University Opera Theatre, in conjunction with Music 214 (Projects in Vocal Performance) and the University Orchestra, stages operas and opera scenes in Richardson Auditorium. Recent productions include Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppæa, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Cavilli’s La Calisto and Egisto, and Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience.
The Princeton University Marching Band attracts spirited students from those who have never played an instrument before to some of the best musicians on campus. The band plays at football, basketball, ice hockey, and lacrosse games; in concerts; at the head of the alumni P-rade; and in the Woodrow Wilson School fountain. New members are always welcome to join during the academic year.
The Princeton University Wind Ensemble is open to all undergraduate and graduate students interested in playing traditional and modern Concert Band literature. Consisting of winds, brass, and percussion, the Wind Ensemble performs three concerts a year including an outdoor concert in the spring. Recent programs have featured Pictures at an Exhibition, Capriccio Espagnol, Alfred Reed’s Armenian Dances, Frank Ticheli’s Blue Shades and Vesuvious, as well as works by Holst, Persichetti, and Shostakovich. For more information, visit www.princeton.edu/~puwe.
Friends of Music at Princeton
The Friends of Music at Princeton was founded in 1942 to provide performance opportunities for Princeton students and faculty and to encourage musical diversity within the greater Princeton community. Programs feature early music performed on authentic instruments, works by Princeton composers, music of non-Western cultures, and student recitals. Information about membership and how to contribute to support these events is available by calling (609) 258-4239.
Princeton University Concerts
Established in 1894, Princeton University Concerts is one of the oldest ongoing series of eminent musical events in the country. Each season internationally known performers appear in Richardson Auditorium under the auspices of the University Concert Series. Programs feature today’s finest chamber musicians, solo recitalists, jazz artists, and world music performers. Subscriptions and single tickets are offered to students at reduced rates. Information is available by calling (609) 258-4239.
Program in Continuing Education
The Program in Continuing Education provides a unique opportunity for area residents and teachers as well as University employees and their dependents to participate in the stimulating intellectual environment of Princeton University. Founded in 1973, the program principally serves individuals who are preparing for a career change or entrance into professional or graduate school, pursuing advanced training in their fields, resuming their education after a break, or seeking personal or professional enrichment.
Courses taken through the program do not count toward a degree at Princeton University. Admission is selective, based on the applicant’s academic and nonacademic experience, intended plan of study, and successful completion of at least two years of formal, post-secondary education. The program admits qualified students primarily for undergraduate courses. In exceptional cases, applicants may be considered for possible enrollment in graduate courses. Students in the program are completely integrated into regular courses and participate fully in classes, precepts (small discussion groups), and laboratories and receive a transcript for completed courses.
Deadlines for application are early July for the fall term and early December for the spring term.
For more information, contact the Office of Community and Regional Affairs, 22 Chambers Street, Suite 101, Princeton, NJ 08542, call (609) 258-5226, e-mail conted2@princeton.edu, or go online at: www.princeton.edu/community/learning/continuing.
United States Armed Services ROTC Programs
Princeton University students may participate in Army or Air Force ROTC programs, which are described below. These programs are conducted by the United States Armed Services. Admission requirements for Armed Services ROTC programs are not consistent with the sexual orientation nondiscrimination policies of the University that govern admission to University academic and other programs. The University has repeatedly urged that the Armed Services policy be changed.
Army Officer Education Program (ROTC). Army ROTC is a nationally standardized program of precommissioning officer education and training that is offered at hundreds of colleges and universities throughout the United States. Army ROTC serves as the primary source of commissioned officers for the U.S. Army. Military science courses complement all major areas of study by broadening students’ basic education and helping to prepare them for positions of leadership in the army. When students earn their academic degree, they also earn a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army.
Cadets may be commissioned onto active duty or the Army Reserve or National Guard. In some cases, this decision can be locked in by contract when the cadet enters the ROTC program. In most cases, however, a centralized board makes these decisions based on the needs of the army, the cadet’s stated preferences, academic performance, advanced camp performance, and recommendations of the cadet’s director of Army Officer Education.
The focus of the ROTC program is leadership development. Students learn problem-solving techniques, decision-making skills, planning and organization skills, interpersonal communications skills, professional ethics and responsibilities, and other management and leadership skills. Leadership labs and field training exercises supplement classroom work with practical leadership training and experience.
Cadets normally attend a noncredit military science elective course each semester and a five-week advanced camp in the summer following their junior year. The military science courses are taught by U.S. Army officers and NCOs.
Army ROTC sponsors a centralized training and development national advanced leadership camp conducted each summer at Fort Lewis, Washington. Successful completion of advanced camp is a prerequisite for commissioning. Cadets are encouraged to participate in Army ROTC extracurricular activities such as the Ranger Challenge Team or the Princeton Color Guard. Cadets may also choose to attend professional development training programs each summer, such as Airborne School, Air Assault School, Northern Warfare School, Mountain Warfare School, or Cadet Troop Leadership Training.
Army ROTC offers merit-based, full-tuition-and-fees scholarships at Princeton University. Scholarship cadets also receive a monthly stipend ranging from $300 for freshmen to $500 for seniors, as well as $450 per semester for books. High school students may apply for four-year scholarships, and Princeton students may apply for either three-year or two-year scholarships.
For more information, please write the Director of the Army Officer Education Program, P.O. Box 2151, Princeton, NJ 08543-2151; or e-mail armyrotc@princeton.edu; or call (609) 258-4226. Additional information is available on the Web at www.princeton.edu/~armyrotc.
Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC). Princeton students may enroll in the Air Force ROTC program via a cross-town school agreement with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. AFROTC is the largest and oldest source of commissioned officers for the Air Force. The program is designed to recruit, educate, and commission officer candidates through college campus programs based on Air Force requirements.
AFROTC offers separate one- to four-year programs open to most majors as well as graduate students. There is no military obligation until students enter the Professional Officer Course (typically during their junior year) or accept a scholarship. This affords those who would like to try the program the opportunity to do so on a noncommittal basis.
Active duty Air Force officers teach weekly courses at Rutgers and may offer some courses at Princeton. In addition, a weekly leadership laboratory is held at either the Princeton or Rutgers campus, depending on the lesson objective. Some travel between campuses is required. AFROTC courses focus on leadership and prepare students for duties and responsibilities as officers in the active duty United States Air Force.
Scholarships and incentive money are available to graduating high-school seniors as well as students who are already in college and are offered on a competitive basis. Scholarships range from partial to full tuition, pay a tax-free monthly allowance during school months (up to $500/month), and offer $750 for registration fees and books. Special EXPRESS scholarship opportunities may be available to certain majors, depending on the student’s graduation year and the needs of the Air Force. EXPRESS scholarships are noncompetitive and are awarded directly to those who have declared a needed major and meet all AFROTC enrollment qualifications. Books and uniforms are provided by the Air Force to all enrolled students.
Upon graduation, students become commissioned officers at the rank of second lieutenant and serve four years on active duty (10 years for pilots). For more information, visit the AFROTC website at www.afrotc.com or the unit site at web.rutgers.edu/rotc485. You may also call the unit admissions officer at (732) 932-7706 or e-mail rotc485@rci.rutgers.edu.
The American Whig-Cliosophic Society
The American Whig-Cliosophic Society is the oldest college political, literary, and debating society in the world and one of the largest extracurricular activities at Princeton. The range of activities open to Whig-Clio members encourages students not only to express themselves effectively, but also to think clearly and independently.
The society’s intercollegiate debate team competes in parliamentary debate tournaments throughout the nation. This “off-topic,” extemporaneous style emphasizes argumentation and persuasion. Princeton consistently fields one of the most successful teams in the American Parliamentary Debate Association (APDA). The team also sponsors tournaments at both the high school and collegiate level.
Whig-Clio’s International Relations Council (IRC) works to increase student understanding of our rapidly changing world. IRC members develop diplomatic and political skills by representing Princeton at intercollegiate Model United Nations conferences. In addition, the council hosts one of the nation’s largest Model UN simulations for high school students and sponsors a popular intercollegiate Model UN conference.
The society’s Princeton Model Congress program (PMC) sponsors one of the nation’s largest model congresses in Washington, D.C. Whig-Clio members chair committees in which high school students debate legislation of their own conception pertaining to current issues confronting the nation. PMC’s outreach program allows disadvantaged students from Trenton to attend the conference.
Whig-Clio’s Mock Trial team participates in intercollegiate competitions. Members work in teams and serve as attorneys, witnesses, jury members, and judges. The society also sponsors public debates through its senate program and brings nationally prominent speakers to campus.
Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation
Physical Education Programs. The University believes in the importance of physical education as an integral part of undergraduate education, and it expects students to avail themselves of the opportunities these programs provide. Physical education courses are open to all students on a noncredit basis. The program focuses on lifetime sports activities as well as general fitness. Instruction is provided by full-time departmental personnel as well as by part-time professionals with special areas of ability. Core areas include aerobics, aikido, aquatics, dance, fitness, Nautilus, racquet sports, self-defense, special interests, and wellness.
Please contact the Physical Education Office in Room 3, Dillon Gym, or call (609) 258-3533 for specific course listings and descriptions.
Intramural Sports. Many competitive team sports, individual tournaments, and meets/special events are offered for residential college members, eating club members, and other members of the University community.
Each year the program begins with the Cane Spree (traditionally, freshmen versus sophomores in several sports). Team sports offered to both men and women include basketball, billiards, bridge, broomball, flag football, ice hockey, soccer, softball, squash, table tennis, volleyball, and water polo. Individual tournaments include backgammon, badminton, billiards, chess, foosball, free throw, home run derby, pool, squash, table tennis, tennis, and three-point shoot-out, and meets/special events include bowling, cross country, golf, Sportnighter, swimming, track, Ultimate Frisbee, volleyball (spikefest), and wrestling.
Intercollegiate Athletics. Intercollegiate athletics are an integral part of the educational program for Princeton undergraduates. Approximately 2,400 men and women (50 percent of the undergraduate student body) participate in intercollegiate (varsity and club) athletics on more than 70 teams and crews. Men and women compete in 38 varsity sports, and there are approximately 35 men’s, women’s and coed club teams.
There are both men’s and women’s varsity teams in basketball, crew, lightweight crew, cross country, fencing, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, squash, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, volleyball, and water polo. Men’s teams also include baseball, football, sprint football, and wrestling. Women’s teams also include field hockey and softball. Most varsity teams play primarily within the Ivy League, and each plays a number of non-Ivy contests as well.
There are also many opportunities for intercollegiate competition on largely student-run club teams for men and women, as well as coeducational club teams in certain sports. Some of the more popular Princeton club teams for men include basketball, cricket, ice hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, and ultimate frisbee. Women’s club teams include basketball, field hockey, figure skating, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, and ultimate frisbee. Coed teams compete in aikido, badminton, ballroom dance, cheerleading, cycling, equestrian events, karate, nordic skiing, riflery, running, sailing, skiing, table tennis, tae kwon do, tennis, and volleyball.
The Ivy Group Presidents’ Agreement. The group affirms the principle that in each institution the academic authorities should control athletics, as well as the conviction that under proper conditions intercollegiate competition in organized athletics offers desirable development and recreation for players and a healthy focus of collegiate loyalty. These conditions require that student-athletes be representative of the student body. In the total life of the campus, emphasis upon intercollegiate competition is balanced with the essential educational purposes of the institution.
The Ivy Group has established rules of eligibility, administrative policies and regulations, and interinstitutional committee procedures designed to carry out the cooperative purposes of the agreement.
Athletic Facilities. Princeton University has two large gymnasiums, an ice rink, two swimming pools, extensive playing fields, tennis courts, a boathouse and crew course, a field house, and other facilities on the main campus within easy walking distance of classroom buildings, dormitories, dining halls, and eating clubs.
Princeton Stadium has a capacity of approximately 30,000 and is a two-tiered structure used primarily for football. The Weaver Track and Field Stadium has an eight-lane Olympic track and is adjacent to the stadium. A common structure, however, has seating for 2,500 track spectators and joins the two facilities. Varsity and junior varsity baseball diamonds and four playing fields are located in the intercollegiate athletic area east of the Princeton Stadium. South of the stadium is Caldwell Field House, which has locker room facilities, dressing rooms, and training quarters for Princeton and visiting teams.
Jadwin Gymnasium, a multipurpose athletic facility and University auditorium, is used for basketball, track, fencing, squash, and tennis. In addition, it provides large indoor practice areas for outdoor intercollegiate field sports. DeNunzio Pool is a swimming and diving facility that includes a 50-meter by 25-yard pool and a 10-meter diving platform.
Dillon Gymnasium provides facilities for basketball, swimming, squash, dance, badminton, aerobics, martial arts, wrestling, and volleyball. The health fitness center located in Dillon Gymnasium provides a centralized facility where men and women can pursue many personal health objectives with trained supervision. The University recently expanded and renovated its landmark boathouse and crew facility, known as the Shea Rowing Center. Crew races are held on University-owned Lake Carnegie. Baker Rink, constructed in 1923, is a historical venue for hockey and skating.
The outdoor facilities include more than two dozen tennis courts and eight lighted courts at the Lenz Tennis Center, the Class of 1895 Field for softball, Clarke Field for baseball, an 18-hole golf course, and various playing fields used for soccer, lacrosse, rugby, and many intramural sports. Lourie-Love Field, used for intercollegiate soccer, provides a lighted facility for night-time contests. The Class of 1952 Stadium is a lighted, artificial-surface facility that can accommodate 4,000 spectators and is used primarily for field hockey, lacrosse, and intramural sports.
A booklet containing information on all departmental programs and facilities is available in the Physical Education Office in Dillon Gym. The athletic department mission statement and additional departmental information is located at www.goprincetontigers.com.
Civic Engagement and Public Service
Princeton University offers a variety of opportunities for students to be civically engaged and actively contribute to the public good. Civic engagement at Princeton means identifying and addressing issues of public concern through engaged scholarship, active citizenship, and effective public leadership for the purpose of building stronger communities and societies on campus and throughout the world. The Pace Center website at www.princeton.edu/pace provides an overview of opportunities and resources at the University.
The Pace Center makes Princeton’s unofficial motto “in the nation’s service and in the service of all nations” meaningful, tangible, and achievable for all members of the University community. The center organizes and sponsors civic engagement activities including public interest break trips, public service internships and fellowships, student group projects, research opportunities, conferences, and educational outreach. To this end, the center concentrates on several areas, including: active involvement in the democratic process; informed understanding of community needs and assets; sustained focus on solving public problems; use of academic, intellectual, and technical skills, as well as associated resources; and effective leadership to promote the public good.
The Pace Center includes the Student Volunteers Council (SVC) and Community House, which provide opportunities for direct service to the community through a variety of volunteer activities. The SVC is heir to a long tradition of public service at Princeton. Working with the strengths of the community, the student-run organization has well-established relationships with more than 45 community partners. Students mentor and tutor children, restore houses, organize blood drives, serve food at food kitchens, and visit the elderly. Additionally, SVC organizes countrywide service trips during academic breaks, the Community Action pre-orientation program for freshmen, and summer internship programs.
Community House was founded in 1969 by a group of undergraduate students and has a tradition of serving and supporting the specific educational, cultural, and recreational needs of underserved Princeton residents. Community House programs are designed to improve minority achievement in an effort to decrease the minority achievement gap that separates African American and Latino children from their white and Asian counterparts in Princeton. Students tutor and mentor school children in the community from pre-school to high-school levels, teach an SAT prep program, and serve as big brothers and sisters.
The Princeton-Blairstown Center, a not-for-profit support organization of the University, operates year-round experiential and adventure-based programs for underserved urban youth in New Jersey. With the help of student leaders, the 275-acre center runs summer programs that emphasize the development of individual and group responsibility, self-esteem, self-confidence, and emotional well-being in a community environment. In addition, the center collaborates with the Pace Center, Community House, SVC, and the Outdoor Action program during freshman pre-orientation and actively seeks Princeton students for summer staff.
Several organizations sponsor public service internships and fellowships for Princeton students and recent graduates. The Princeton Internships in Civic Service provide summer internship placements in community and public service organizations. Princeton Project 55 places recent graduates in year-long fellowships at nonprofit and community organizations across the country through its Public Interest Program. Princeton in Africa, Princeton in Asia, and Princeton in Latin America sponsor fellowships in those regions of the world.
Numerous other civic engagement opportunities are available through individual student organizations, residential colleges, eating clubs, academic departments, and alumni classes.
Healthier Princeton
As an educational institution, residential community, and employer, Princeton seeks to provide a campus environment and a range of programs that sustain and enhance the physical, psychological, and emotional health of undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff, and that assist them in achieving an appropriate balance between work and personal/family life. The program Healthier Princeton offers an integrated approach to health promotion and education, disease detection and prevention, and fitness and wellness services for the University community. Healthier Princeton is based on an assessment of the academic, cultural, physical, and social environments of the campus and their impact upon the health and well-being of all members of the University community. The committee advises the offices responsible for this initiative and the senior officers of the University.