On Tuesday, Jeremy Briggs ’19 took a fatal misstep during a precept for PSY/GSS 329, Psychology of Gender, when he accidentally referred to Princetoween as “Halloween.” According to classmate Maddie Klein ’17, it was “pretty embarrassing,” and a “total freshman move.” Briggs reportedly dropped the class immediately after the precept, saying, “$45 is nothing compared to the torture of having to sit in a class for the rest of the semester with people who have seen me at my worst.”
Julie Cohen ’18 stated that Briggs began the now infamous comment on a strong note, responding to a conversation on gender norms in campus life by saying, “Oftentimes, when students want to go out here, their only option is these parties with very gendered atmospheres, touting themes such as ‘snapbacks and sluts,’ ‘boxers and thongs,’ and ‘Tuxedos and, I don’t know, Naked Women?’” He then made a statement he’ll never forget. “To use a current example,” Briggs continued, “I know when students are going to be dressing up to go out for Halloween, many will feel a pressure to conform to a certain stereotype.”
Before he could realize his mistake, classmate Sean Cohen ’16 piped up, allegedly for the first time this semester, asking, “Don’t you mean Princetoween?” Briggs sat mortified. Several students snickered. As the class continued to discuss the influences of cultural norms on the interactions of college students, Briggs saw nothing but the nearly circular scratches in the desk in front of him. Sources indicate he did not speak for the rest of the precept.
When contacted, Briggs indicated he feared for the future of his social life on campus. “I know that a couple of the people in my precept are in Cottage and Ivy, so, like, I don’t know what will happen,” he noted. “I just hope word doesn’t get around too fast. I don’t need everyone thinking I’m just a clueless freshman.” Jacob Graham ’17, a junior in the same precept who is a member of Tiger Inn, told us that he would “definitely bring this up” if Briggs were to bicker TI next year. “I mean, come on, who doesn’t know about Princetoween?”
“I’m just afraid this will never go away,” Briggs concluded somberly. “It’s almost as if they put a mark on my Tigercard.”
–LP ’17