I love and owe much to Princeton. I am also a regular reader of PAW for 40 years and greatly value its mission and what it has delivered for its readers. My love for Princeton does not blind me to its flaws, and I know that it is not a purely benevolent, opinion-less open forum; it is instead an institution with a strong point of view. This reality makes it essential that there be other points of view that can be heard when appropriate, and I have always counted on PAW for that. Princeton, in its benevolence, made the staff of PAW employees of the University to bring efficiencies, save money, and provide the staff the security of a strong employer, but now Princeton wants to leverage that tie to its advantage and this strong-arming (no matter how polite) must be opposed. If necessary, PAW should explore establishing itself as a completely separate entity, with its staff employed by that entity rather than the University. I believe that many alumni would support that independence and would step up to help accomplish that if required.
In Response to: PAW’s Future: A Letter to Readers