Be careful with removal of assistant master positions

By Daily Princetonian Staff

Published: Friday, September 15th, 2006

Be careful with removal of assistant master positions

Regarding ‘RCAs debate removal of assistant master position’ (Friday, May 19, 2006):

I read the article about the abolition of the assistant master position with a sad heart.  I served as assistant master at Butler College in 2002-03. In my short tenure there, I made many friends and worked with an exceptionally bright group of undergraduates.  Though having served definitely delayed my academic progression, I have no regrets about my choice.  As for my duties, it wasn’t so much that my presence in Butler enriched the students’ lives; rather I was fortunate enough to have learned many things from people more junior than I.

Giving more graduate students the chance to interact with the wider college community is to be lauded, but I hope that the diminished responsibilities with the new graduate positions do not lessen the scope for interaction.  After all, it was the fact that the position consumed so much of my time that made it special.

The group of shy 18-year-olds that I met in September 2002 have now left the orange bubble — good luck in your new endeavors!  To Butler’s class of ’06:  “It was a pleasure to have served and to have seen you grow.  Thanks for four years of kinship on campus.”

Kai Chan GS