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We Didn't Start the Fire
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We Didn't Start the Fire
Educational Independence
A Political Gesture
A Lesson to Learn: The majority of students' reactions to the unveiling of Berry Library ranged from mild acceptance to strong dislike. Most found what they saw to be sterile, cold and unwelcoming -- lacking all the charm of its landmark neighbor. But the frightening thing is that these responses mirrored what many members of the community have been saying for several years about the entire concept. Now that the largest donation in the history of the College has been spent and the building is complete, we have to live with this. But what if the College had heeded professors' warnings and student petitions? What if the Trustees had acted upon the Design Review Committee's rejection? We would have a better library -- a library that would be as cherished at the turn of the next century as Baker is today. With numerous building projects and a campus expansion in the works, the lesson to be learned is that those living most closely within the Dartmouth community know best what this campus needs.
Fall is an exciting term no matter what the circumstances, but this year should be especially so, for the incoming class represents the change from Initiative theory to Initiative practice. The '04s are not the standard class of entering freshmen -- they are the pivotal group who will have first-hand experience of the Initiative. Dartmouth is in a time of transition, and the '04s are its transition class.
With their recent announcement to formally separate from the Coed Fraternity Sorority Council, the sisters of Tri-Delt have issued a wake-up call to the Greek community but have failed to adequately explain their reasoning.
Philosophically, we disagree with the introduction of freshman-only housing into the Dartmouth community. Dartmouth has built itself on being a single integrated community rather than a collection of separate classes. Students do not label themselves as "freshmen" or "juniors" but instead identify themselves by the assumed year of graduation. A student is above all a member of the Dartmouth community rather than a part of an isolated class.
After reviewing all the candidates for Student Assembly in the upcoming elections, the Dartmouth Editorial Board cannot conscientiously endorse anyone for the office of president or vice president. This is a time for actual change, something none of these candidates is capable of bringing about.
We have long believed that the Student Life Initiative should be about expanding students' social and residential options on campus. While it is clear that the Trustees have erred on various points by limiting options -- such as with the extension of the moratorium on new single-sex Greek houses -- they have succeeded in other areas and should be applauded for that.
The Board of Trustees has unwisely chosen to continue the moratorium on any new residential, selective, single-sex organizations. This moratorium directly contradicts the stated goals of the Student Life Initiative to improve the lives of Dartmouth students.
You have been given the opportunity to prove that student opinion truly matters on this campus.
For the past year, the Dartmouth community has grappled with the Student Life Initiative. As the Trustees come to campus and begin the task of actually deciding where the Initiative should take this college, they must keep in mind the responsibilities they have to the Dartmouth community:
The keg jump is a Dartmouth tradition. The College knows what has been transpiring on the lawn of Psi Upsilon Fraternity for the past 19 years. Such is the nature of tradition -- the community is fully aware of what occurs.
The Committee on Standards and computer science department behaved in the most appropriate manner considering the circumstances surrounding the recent cheating accusations in dismissing all charges against CS4 students. However, the College's Honor Code remains devalued. Although all students who had cheated could have been caught and punished, this could only have been accomplished at the expense of potentially punishing innocent classmates. Nevertheless, if the Dartmouth community chooses to move forward from this winter's scandal without making an effort to update the Honor Code, then the Code stands to lose any sense of integrity.
If there were one motto for all liberal arts colleges, it might be, "we train students how to think." Colleges such as Dartmouth, are very proud of the fact that they are not vocational schools -- so much so, that sometimes this pride clouds their judgment.
After a presidency riddled with scandals and embarrassment, this country needs a leader of unquestionable integrity and firm moral character. It needs a leader who will not change with the tide of popular opinion, but one who will stand firm in the face of opposition, fighting for the issues he believes in. Many have criticized Bill Bradley for his lofty idealism, but we believe this is why he should be admired.
Before this week, no one could have said what the release of the steering committee's recommendations would reveal, but there was little doubt that whatever the report's contents, the national media would once again fill their pages with the mythical "Animal House"connection. And so they did.
The steering committee should be applauded for some of its recommendations in yesterday's report. It had clearly considered student input regarding dining and recognized that decentralization would not be an attractive change. It also listened to student input and kept the single-sex Greek system, at least in some form. But while it did some things right, this period is for discussion on how to improve upon the document and serious improvements are necessary if the steering committee's goals are to be met.
The 2001 Directorate would like to welcome you to
This coming January, the Steering Committee will make a recommendation to the Trustees on the future of Dartmouth social life. Few are certain as to what that recommendation will entail, but everyone hopes that above all the recommendations are something that makes Dartmouth a better place for students in a way that students themselves enjoy.