Thursday, April 17, 2003Rewriting History......literally. Educrats in Europe are cooking the books: downplaying the role of nation-states, calling Napoleon a reformer, and the Vikings peace-loving farmers and traders. Er, huh?You know, if The Guardian is criticizing PC excess, then it's simply got to be good... Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by Emmett at 3:26 PM (0 comments) Wednesday, April 16, 2003re: Greeks and programmingPersonally, I think it's a lot more out of character that BG is sponsoring such an event. Back in the day when I was an undergrad, there was an unsaid rule that a capella wasn't entirely condoned. But Talcott, how much did you guys pay? $25? $50? Boo hoo hoo... Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by Nilanjan at 6:33 PM (0 comments) Greeks and programmingAnother event I had no idea my fraternity was sponsoring. I'm the Vice President of Alpha Chi, a small house of about a dozen brothers a class, and we foot the bill for all sorts of non-alcoholic programming events that our Brothers have no intention of attending. What social options would there be at Dartmouth without Greek hospitality and dollars?>Date: 16 Apr 2003 15:49:21 EDT >From: Aires >Reply-To: aires@mac >Subject: Aires and X.ado TONIGHT! >To: (Recipient list suppressed) ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? THE AIRES and X.ADO Tonight at 11:30 Alpha Xi X.ADO - Bringing the Dartmouth Community closer to the Lord. AIRES- Bringing the Dartmouth Community closer to rutabaga, and other tragically underappreciated vegetables. Two noble missions. One noble show. Come check it out...or we will place a curse on all of your houses! ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Co-sponsored by Bones Gate, Tri Delt, Alpha Chi, and Sigma Delt. Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by alex at 4:13 PM (0 comments) The IndianEven if they come up with a new mascot, I have a hard time believing that that will end the use of the Indian. Most people who wear Indian merchandise do not believe that it will eventually return as the mascot. They either wear it because it's far cooler than the big green (or i predict anything the SA could ever come up with) or because it really pisses off a lot of annoying people. Take a look at Marquette, when they went PC and became the Golden Eagles, no one paid attention. All their fans still cheer for the Warriors.Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by Ryan at 10:39 AM (0 comments) Tuesday, April 15, 2003T-shirt trade-inMore details on it:The proposal passed unanimously, although an amendment to condemn the symbol as 'offensive' was defeated. They are allocating $750, 1/3 paid by the SA, the rest probably by the President's office. If it's successful, they'll go for more money. They plan to harass alumni associations to send (or bring, I'm not sure) in their contraband. They will have a table soon I think, then office hours, and on the big weekends when alumni are present, they will be making a big push. Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by Alston B. Ramsay at 11:08 PM (0 comments) Re: Stetson UniversityOver on Free Dartmouth (from what?), Dan Pollock writes:I'm sure Emmett will want to debate me about the constitutionality of this decision:Well Dan, I don't know if you're arguing that it was constitutional or unconstitutional. I argue neither: Stetson is a private institution. The First Amendment is irrelevant. That said, I think it's outrageous. You seem to equivocate on it: On the one hand, you have a newspaper that clearly crossed the line, even for a joke issue (some of you may remember when the Jacko got in trouble for similar racist "humor"). But on the other hand, the school's conservative Baptist history makes this sentence somewhat troubling:This is an absurd statement. You say "on the one hand, you have a newspaper that clearly crossed the line." How can you say that? You ask what the content was, implying of course that you don't know what the paper said; how, then, can you be so sure that it "clearly crossed the line"? But this is peripheral; the fact that there's a content-based line to cross at all is an outrage that you fail to realize. Satire and parody are, and should be, some of the most protected expression there is. If the humor is interpreted to be offensive or racist, that's just tough -- it's the price of living in a free society. But then we get the good ol' Dan Pollock double standard. After stating that they "clearly crossed the line," you say that you're troubled by the school's Baptist conservative history being the impetus for censorship. In other words, you can understand why they would censor if it were motivated by goo-goo concern for other's "feelings" when it comes to potentially racist speech, but you are troubled by that very same censorship if it were motivated by conservative Baptist principles. That's a double standard, Dan. Fess up and plead for mercy! Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by Emmett at 12:20 PM (0 comments) Re: Budget PrioritiesWhile Mr. Horowitz's point about spending is well taken, he's incorrect that it explains the budget cuts. The reality is that Dartmouth can spend money where it wants to spend money without making budget cuts, precisely because the endowment is there to tap into, about 4 times as large as it was a decade ago. That it isn't willing to do so suggests that preserving the endowment is a priority in and of itself.Personally, I think one of the more plausible explanations is that the reason for the cuts is so the endowment remains large enough to finance major capital expansion in the face of declining alumni support. Which is in line with Mr. Horowitz's thoughts. It's also possible the Trustees, by nature of their positions more fiscally than educationally focused, have succumbed to the notion that a large endowment is good in and of itself. This would reflect a certain amount of current thinking in academia, where, as a single example, university rankings usually include a variable for endowment size. Either way, regardless of the long-term strategy, the short term purpose seems quite clearly to be conserving the endowment. Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by Alexander at 10:18 AM (0 comments) Re: Wright's Budgetary PrioritiesStan Horowitz responds:Concerning Mr. Wilson?s post: Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by Andrew Grossman at 9:58 AM (0 comments) Monday, April 14, 2003By The Way......today's my 24th birthday.Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by Emmett at 4:26 PM (0 comments) Re: DevelopingAlston wrote:"Whereas the Assembly supports the right of every member of the Dartmouth community to exercise the right of free speech within the constructs of the Principles of Community."It is tantamount to advocating for a speech code. It's true that the Student Assembly doesn't get to decide what policy is, so this is no cause for alarm. (Unless you happen to think that students at a liberal arts college should have even a modicum of respect for the principle of free speech.) We shouldn't forget, however, that Dartmouth actually does enforce its Principle of Community -- Greek houses are required to include its provisions in their charters. The College (Redman claims) can punish them for violations not only of this requirement, but for violations of their own charters -- meaning, essentially, that the Principle of Community is actually enforceable for almost half of Dartmouth's students. I wrote about this a while back in the Review. Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by Emmett at 4:23 PM (0 comments) Re: Community LetterThe war in Iraq has stimulated a great deal of debate on campus. Students, faculty, and staff have participated in a series of discussions on various aspects of the war, and, like the rest of the country, the Dartmouth community includes people who represent the whole range of opinions. But it is moments like these that underline more than ever the importance of open dialogue and the need to protect and even encourage freedom of expression.I nearly spilled my tea when I read this. Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by Emmett at 4:14 PM (0 comments) Wright's Budgetary PrioritiesThis letter makes it even clearer than it already was that the College�s budget cuts are merely about endowment preservation. The only change in the financial picture was a �decrease in endowment revenue,� which actually sounds like the endowment rebounded from the negative year it had and is growing again, just not by that much. That may be just be ambiguous wording, but either way the notion that the endowment must be preserved rather than spent, even if it means shutting down libraries and athletic or academic programs is appalling. The endowment is supposed to exist to support the College�s activities, not the other way around.And as an alumnus being asked to �step forward in this time of need,� I�d love to know how the College justifies even considering funding something as frivolous as a Critical Review of Dartmouth Symbols project if it�s in such dire straits. Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by Alexander at 4:09 PM (0 comments) Community Letter from Pres. WrightApril 14, 2003Dear Friends, In his poem �Snow,� Robert Frost wrote, �You can�t get too much winter in the winter.� This winter in Hanover might just have proved him wrong. Our temperatures were 30 percent lower than normal, and we experienced the coldest day ever recorded for early March. The plentiful snowfall, however, made possible the creation of a wonderful Winter Carnival statue. And, to underline this special winter, the skiers won their Winter Carnival competition for the first time since 1984. In addition, Dartmouth hosted the NCAA skiing championships, finishing 6th, and the men�s and women�s hockey teams were in the playoffs. It has indeed been a winter with a lot of winter. Now, can spring be far behind? (No, but it did snow in early April!) As a strong indication of Dartmouth�s growing popularity among the nation�s top students, undergraduate applications to Dartmouth increased by 16 percent for the Class of 2007, to a new record level. This was the greatest increase among our peer institutions, and it provides continuing affirmation of the recognized quality of the Dartmouth undergraduate experience. Our intimate setting and special sense of community, combined with close interaction between students and faculty, small classes, faculty who are passionate about their teaching, a diverse student body that loves the College, extensive opportunities for independent study, and our excellent off-campus programs result in one of the best educational experiences in the country. These qualities continue to define Dartmouth as a very special place. * * * * * This year, Dartmouth students and faculty garnered numerous awards and other recognitions. I have room to mention only a few of them. Professors Judy Byfield �80 in History, Roberta Stewart in Classics, and Barbara Will in English received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, while poet Cleopatra Mathis received one from the National Endowment for the Arts. Faculty from Thayer School of Engineering, the Dartmouth Medical School, and from Arts and Sciences continue to compete successfully for grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. You may have seen media coverage of several Dartmouth research projects, including the work of Dr. Elliot Fisher and Professor John Skinner, which suggests that more health care does not necessarily translate into better health care, or John Baron�s research, affirming that an aspirin protocol may lower the risk of colon cancer. Dartmouth manages better than any place I know to focu! s on the undergraduate experience and also be a place of discovery. Three Dartmouth students are on their way to Oxford University on Rhodes scholarships. Heidi Williams �03 will study for a Masters of Science degree, specializing in the mathematical foundations of computer science. Fiona Herring �02, now studying computer science at the London School of Economics, will study social anthropology. And Amar Dhand �01, who is currently a student at Harvard Medical School, will work toward his doctorate in education. Also, Collin O'Mara �01, who graduated with a double major in classics and history, received a Marshall Scholarship to study for his BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. I am delighted that, following the regular periodic internal review process Paul Danos has agreed to serve another term as Dean of the Tuck School. The Tuck School continues to prosper under Dean Danos� leadership. He has hired new faculty, expanded the size of the MBA program, and opened Whittemore Hall, a marvelous facility. Most importantly, he has fostered a residential MBA program that is one of the best in the world. For the second year in a row The Wall Street Journal ranked Tuck the Number One business school in the country. I am also pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen P. Spielberg as Dean of the Dartmouth Medical School. Dr. Spielberg comes to us from Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development where he was Vice President for Pediatric Drug Development. He has also held teaching and research positions at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the University of Toronto, Toronto�s Hospital for Sick Children, and Merck Research Laboratories. On Sunday, March 30th, we joined students and community members in Enfield to celebrate the completion of a house built by the Dartmouth chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Under the guidance of the Tucker Foundation over 250 students from across the College participated in this effort. The Tucker Foundation also sponsored an alternative spring break this year that sent 42 students to work on three other Habitat projects in the southern U.S., as well as to Florida to work with underprivileged children and to Costa Rica to help construct a clinic. As I told the students in Enfield, I am proud to be at a place where students are so committed to service. Finally, congratulations go to Murry Bowden �71, who was named to the College Football Hall of Fame. As a young junior faculty member I watched Murry play; a few years ago I told him that he had made the hardest tackles I have ever seen at Memorial Field. He joins his coach, the late Bob Blackman, in the hall. (Prior to Murry�s selection, the most recent Dartmouth player to be so recognized was Bob MacLeod �39.) * * * * * President John Sloan Dickey regularly told Dartmouth undergraduates �the world�s troubles are your troubles.� In this way he sought to encourage students to be responsible world citizens. Mr. Dickey�s statement continues to resonate. We are very much a part of the world community. Venezuelan labor strife and the ongoing crisis in the Middle East have had an impact on what we pay for oil (and in a winter like this, that is substantial); the war in Iraq and the threat of terrorism have raised questions about off-campus programs, emergency protocols, and campus preparedness; health care costs for our employees have skyrocketed; and the downturn in the financial markets has had a negative effect on our finances. Dartmouth is a real part of the real world � the bad, along with the good. This is no ivory tower. The war in Iraq has stimulated a great deal of debate on campus. Students, faculty, and staff have participated in a series of discussions on various aspects of the war, and, like the rest of the country, the Dartmouth community includes people who represent the whole range of opinions. But it is moments like these that underline more than ever the importance of open dialogue and the need to protect and even encourage freedom of expression. I have also encouraged people to be especially sensitive to the most vulnerable members of our community � those who have family members involved in the conflict or who are from the Middle East or are of Arab or Muslim heritage. We have taken a number of measures to respond to the threat of terrorism, the war with Iraq, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Our spring term off-campus programs all started as scheduled; the health and safety of our students and faculty are uppermost in our minds, and we are monitoring those programs closely. Faculty leaders have reviewed specific contingency plans and protocols with their students, and we have communicated this information to the parents of all students currently enrolled in such programs. We have also increased our alert on campus. Hanover and Dartmouth remain peaceful in a tense world, but we know full well that we are part of the world � reminders of which come regularly. The federal government has suggested that colleges and universities could be targets of terrorist activities. A team of administrators is meeting regularly to ensure our preparedness. We also work closely with the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and local town officials! to coordinate our efforts. The world�s troubles surely are our troubles! * * * * * In the years when the financial markets were good, the Dartmouth endowment grew very well. We ranked 8th for returns among the 35 private schools with the largest endowments, and Dartmouth�s endowment per student increased at the 7th highest rate (ranked with Harvard) among all schools. At the same time, Dartmouth�s spending rate from the endowment ranked 13th in the group of 35. Moreover, we maintained a AAA bond rating. The performance of the Dartmouth endowment continues to be one of the best in higher education, and our spending rate, which the Board of Trustees reviews annually, has been prudent, strategic, and responsive to the needs of our community. The growth in the endowment over the last four years has allowed Dartmouth to address critical priorities and major needs. We kept tuition increases down to a minimum and reduced our dependence on tuition. We twice enhanced our financial-aid packages, as part of the College�s ongoing commitment to attract the very best students to Dartmouth. As a result, we have one of the most economically diverse student bodies among our peer institutions. We invested in faculty and staff compensation � Dartmouth had lagged in both areas, which hurt our competitive position � and in the library and computing. We funded several capital projects, as well. With the construction of McCulloch Hall, we took an important first step to meet our undergraduate housing needs. And we addressed pressing academic needs with the Baker Library renovation, the Wilder expansion, the renovation of the Fairchild Science Center, and the renovation of Silsby Hall. Finally, increased revenue enabled us to enhanc! e an array of academic and student life programs, including athletics. These investments helped ensure the quality of the learning environment for our undergraduate students. As a historian, I knew that the good times could not last. As a President, I surely wished they might, at least, have lasted for a little longer! The decrease in endowment revenue has led us to reduce expenses and to look for greater efficiencies. We have cut budgets by approximately $5 million in FY 2003, and we project a $7.8 million reduction in FY 2004. We have reduced programs and activities in all areas. The Trustees also voted to increase tuition by 4.9 percent, slightly higher than the increases we have enacted in recent years. We are surely not alone in having to cut expenses. Corporations and businesses, as well as institutions of higher education around the country, have imposed hiring and salary freezes, cut budgets, and have even laid off employees. The good news is that we continue to be blessed with generous supporters. We have begun planning for a capital campaign, and alumni/ae giving continues to be a critical element in our ability to move forward with new initiatives. The Dartmouth College Fund provides absolutely vital support toward the meeting of our key priorities including financial aid and academic programs. While we have done well, in recent years we have seen a decline in our donor participation numbers, and we need to recover ground in this regard. A Dartmouth education depends on the quality of our faculty, our students, and the programs that we offer � all of which depend, in turn, on the support of alumni/ae. We hope that everyone can step forward in this time of need. Every area of the College has implemented expense reductions, although we have tried hard to limit their impact on academic and student programs, and we have accordingly taken the greatest reductions in administrative areas. Of all the reductions, the one involving swimming and diving received the most attention. No one set out to eliminate this activity, and the cut would not have been suggested if we had not had to make severe budget reductions. Consequently, we were delighted to be able to find a plan that allowed us to reinstate swimming and diving. This episode demonstrated remarkable spirit and ingenuity on the part of our students. as well as generosity on the part of many alumni/ae, parents, and friends, who worked with the Athletic Director and Dean to create a way to sustain swimming and diving. Susan and I were pleased to join the team members at their last home meet. It was a festive occasion and a winning one! * * * * * Sadly, this winter Jean Kemeny, First Lady of Dartmouth 1970-81, passed away. Susan and I had visited her just days before her death and told her (using the title of her 1979 book) that it was �Different at Dartmouth� and that she had helped to make it so through her numerous contributions. We and many, many friends attended the Rollins Chapel memorial service and warmly remembered her spirit. She was an extraordinary woman, and we shall miss her. Susan and I hope to see many of you on our travels this spring, and we look forward to a wonderful Commencement in June. In the meantime, it is hard to focus on our business of learning without pausing to reflect on the current world situation. Our thoughts are with our forces in Iraq and our prayers are for their safety and for peace for that suffering region. Sincerely, James Wright Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by alex at 2:43 PM (0 comments) Re: Developing"Whereas the Assembly supports the right of every member of the Dartmouth community to exercise the right of free speech within the constructs of the Principles of Community."Isn't this just a clever way of saying "speech code"? The Assembly ONLY supports free speech if it adheres to the Principle of Community, a nebulous, subjective principle if ever there were one. At least they're admitting it these days. Emmett, how does this one strike you? Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by Alston B. Ramsay at 1:01 PM (0 comments) Re: DevelopingThe New York branch of Dartlog (consisting of Alex and I) is a little confused by the "CARDS" project. More specifically, how does one get "CARDS" out of "Critical Review of Dartmouth Symbols"? Where the hell does the "A" come from? The seventh letter of "critical"?! Have standards fallen this far?Additionally, does "voluntarily" replacing "belongings with the Indian insignia" mean stealing? I do think that this exchange program could work though. I know I have some old Indian T-shirts that are a little worn out and would be happy to receive brand new replacements. Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by Ryan at 12:17 PM (0 comments) Developing...--- Forwarded message from Amit Anand ---Student Assembly Resolution to Endorse the Critical Review of Dartmouth Symbols Project Sponsored by Amit Anand '03, Natalie Walsh '06, Ben Waters '06, Mark Herman '06, Jenna Krumminga '06, Rene Moya '06 and Student Life Committee Whereas the continuing presence of the "Indian" symbol has a significant social, emotional and cultural impact on members of the Dartmouth community; Whereas the Assembly has organized a week-long series of open discussions to address the use of the "Indian" symbol; Whereas the Assembly supports the right of every member of the Dartmouth community to exercise the right of free speech within the constructs of the Principles of Community; Whereas some members of the Dartmouth community have voluntarily sought to replace belongings with the Indian insignia; Whereas the President's Office has demonstrated a commitment to monetarily support the Critical Review of Dartmouth Symbols (CARDS) project; Whereas Dartmouth has no official mascot and previous searches for a mascot have been inconclusive; Whereas next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the Board of Trustees' finding of the "use of the [Indian] symbol in any form to be inconsistent with present institutional and academic objectives of the College in advancing Native American education"; Let it be resolved that the Assembly establishes a program facilitating the exchange of apparel and other items bearing the "Indian" symbol for comparable Dartmouth merchandise. Let it be further resolved that the Assembly requests the President to monetarily support the said program. Let it be finally resolved that the Assembly's Student Life Committee start an intensive campaign to obtain suggestions, survey students and alumni, and submit a final proposal to the Board of Trustees for an official mascot before the end of Spring term. Copies of the resolution shall be sent to the President and presented to the Dean of the College, the Director of Athletics and the Dean of Student Life. Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by alex at 11:16 AM (0 comments) This is still an issue?>Date: 14 Apr 2003 00:21:58 EDT>From: Daniel Webster Legal Society >Reply-To: DWLS@Dartmouth.edu >Subject: Indian Mascot Discussion >To: (Recipient list suppressed) ***The Indian Mascot at Dartmouth: A Discussion*** *What: A Student Assembly discussion on the role of the Indian symbol/mascot at Dartmouth including student speakers on both sides of the issue and excerpts from the documentary 'In Whose Honor?' *When: Monday (today) 7 pm *Where: 101 Collis *Co-Sponsored by DWLS Food will be served. Please RSVP by 3 pm Monday. NOTE: This will be in lieu of our regular meeting in Rocky. We hope to see you there! Your Co-Chairs, Adil Andy Matt Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by alex at 11:12 AM (0 comments) Sunday, April 13, 2003They've been watching me?Students against the Abuse of Food and Exercise>Date: 13 Apr 2003 17:18:40 EDT >From: SAFE >Subject: MEETING TOMORROW >To: (Recipient list suppressed) We've seen you in Food Court and Collis, in Kresge and on the Green. We know you're going to want to hear about this ... SAFE holds our first meeting of Spring term. Spread awareness about issues concerning health, nutrition, eating disorders, and exercise. We kick off the spring term with our first big meeting tomorrow night. We've got loads of activities to plan. Bring your ideas !! MEETING TOMORROW MONDAY, APRIL 14th COLLIS Rm. 218 @ 7:00pm All are welcome! Full post and comments below the fold. Posted by alex at 5:49 PM (0 comments) |
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