The $160,000 concert

Just got back from the senior step sing, a tradition that, according to my program, is nearly as old as the University: "On the warm spring nights of 1760, members of the senior class began to congregate on the front steps of Nassau Hall to sing jovial songs while townspeople and other Princeton students watched."

Two centuries later, the specifics have changed a bit, but the main idea -- jovial songs -- is more or less the same. Somewhere along the way, someone decided that the event was something that parents would enjoy -- and, indeed, the hundreds of family members in attendance seemed to be smiling. They also looked slightly perplexed as to how 1,000 supposedly brilliant students could be so excited to sing a Neil Diamond song. (Hint: Having a beer or two beforehand helps.)

Speaking of Neil Diamond, the program was a combination of "popular songs" (voted on by the '06ers) and traditional "Princeton songs." None of us seemed to actually know the words to any of the "Princeton songs," other than Old Nassau. I guess we should have spent less time on our theses and more time learning songs -- Who knew? Anyway, I doubt anyone actually cares, but for the sake of posterity, here's the set list for the evening:

1. Don't Stop Believing - Journey
2. Senior Step Song
3. Integer Vitae
4. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynard Skynyrd
5. The Orange and Black
6. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
7. Going Back
8. Piano Man - Billy Joel
9. Living on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
10. Old Nassau

We closed out the night with a few rousing '06 Locomotives, before dispersing back to dorm rooms and eating clubs. The night left me feeling rather sentimental, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one. As corny as the whole thing was, it was absolutely a "Quintessential Princeton" event, the type of tradition that doesn't -- that simply couldn't -- happen anywhere but here. As I happily sang just a few hours ago, "Three Cheer for Old Nassau."

-- David Baumgarten '06, Managing editor emeritus