Moments of Joy

You have one of the hardest jobs in America,” alumni will sometimes say to me. That’s an exaggeration — but it’s true that university presidents face lots of challenges and that the last five years have been especially demanding.

I am confident, however, that I have one of the best jobs in America, not least because I get to share in so many joyful activities on this inspiring campus. When you are president you are invited to participate in almost every part of the Princeton community.

A few of those moments, such as the celebrations for John Hopfield’s Nobel Prize in Physics this past October, are exceptional and receive international media coverage. Most, however, are part of the everyday life at a great university. With a new semester underway, I wanted to share a few memories from the one that just concluded.

In late August, I greeted first-year students and their families on move-in day. My dog, Buster, accompanied me and, as expected, attracted more attention than I did. It was marvelous to feel the enthusiasm of our newest Princetonians and to see how thoughtfully and warmly they were welcomed by staff from throughout the University.

I got to know a few of our students more personally when they joined me in their residential colleges for informal precepts on this year’s Princeton Pre-read, The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI by Fei-Fei Li ’99. The precept with students from Rockefeller and Mathey was especially unforgettable: It was featured on Good Morning America as part of “The Book Case,” a podcast co-hosted by Charlie Gibson ’65 and his daughter Kate.

Because cameras tend to distract students, I normally don’t allow them into my precepts. I made an exception because I trusted Charlie, and I am glad that I did.

Our students were fabulous — as you can see on GMA’s YouTube or by searching for “Princeton” on the video tab at goodmorningamerica.com.

We also welcomed an exceptional group of new master’s and doctoral students to Princeton this year.

In what I hope will become an annual tradition, Dean of the Graduate School Rod Priestley hosted a reception at his home near the Graduate College where I got to chat with several students and learn about the scholarly projects that brought them to campus.

In early September, I participated in services with Kesher, the Reform Jewish community at Princeton’s Center for Jewish Life. One of our juniors celebrated her bat mitzvah that evening; she spoke movingly about how the center helped her “connect with [her] Jewish identity to better the world.”

Later in the semester, award-winning photographer and professor of the visual arts Deana Lawson curated an exhibition at the Lewis Center for the Arts. After she learned that my wife, Lori, and I had an interest in photography, she invited us to the opening. She treated us to a personal tour where we benefited from her insights and those of other artists featured in the show.

We also accepted an invitation to a concert celebrating the Glee Club’s 150th anniversary. Princeton’s oldest and largest student choir performed along with The King’s Singers, a world-renowned a cappella ensemble that formerly counted Glee Club director Gabriel Crouch as a member. The concert was magnificent. (Lori and I recommend the delightful rendition of “I’m a Train,” which thoroughly captivated the six-year-old boy sitting in front of us — you can find versions by The King’s Singers on YouTube or Spotify.)

In late December, my wife, son, and I had courtside seats as our men’s basketball team claimed statewide bragging rights with a thrilling 83-82 victory over a highly regarded Rutgers team at the Prudential Center in Newark. It was one of the best college basketball games I have seen in a long time and, to top it off, Yankees great CC Sabathia took the seat next to me. (I invited him to Princeton, of course!)

I could add many other examples, but I hope these and the accompanying photos are enough to give you a sense of why I so enjoy being Princeton’s president. Perhaps they will also remind you of cherished experiences from your own time on campus. These moments may not often get covered by news media or hyped by influencers, but the ordinary joys of campus life are what make my job so energizing and what make Princeton “the best old place of all.”