A letter from an alumnus about Dean's Date Theater, On the Campus, February 12, 2003

February 11, 2003

I could not resist commenting on what Melissa Renny '03 about the Dean's Date Deadline Run.

Years ago when I first came to Princeton to run the Army R.O.T.C. program, the commanding officer for R.O.T.C. on the East Coast, a West Pointer who knew that I had taught there, told me that "Princeton is the closest thing in American academe to West Point." And how true this is.

At West Point all seniors take a mandatory class in international relations and must write a lengthy research paper due on the last day of class. Building on the tradition that the last senior to hand in the paper and still get a passing grade receives a monetary prize, the dash to the deadline there has become a major event, replete with students in outrageous costumes and accompaniment by the Army Band. It warms the heart of an old soldier to see students at a civilian institution of this caliber learn to follow the example of their military counterparts!

Doug Lovejoy *68
Princeton Junction, N.J.

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