<p>Here’s a letter that appeared in the September 14 edition:</p>
<p>"When I talk to promising high school seniors about where theyd like to attend college, first choices are often Brown, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Bowdoin, Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, Penn … There is a pattern here. Obviously, many thousands apply to Princeton, which is just as selective as the most selective of these, and I may hang out with a crowd whose culture does not embrace Princetons reputation. But clearly, the eating-club scene is the number-one culprit for many students who shy away from Princeton.</p>
<p>Some may claim that Princetons reputation in this regard is unfair, although I dont think so. Ask yourself this question: How many fantastic and diverse students might Princeton attract if it werent the only major college in America (and perhaps the only college in America) where the majority of students take their meals and socialize at clubs? As Bob Levetown 56s letter (July 6) points out, this isnt necessarily because these students want to, but because the University has yet to create an attractive alternative.</p>
<p>In the end, I believe the best thing that Princeton could do for itself, and especially for how the world perceives it, would be to take effective measures to end its romance with the eating-club system.</p>
<p>JEFF PIDOT 69
Hallowell, Maine"</p>