The Student Assembly voted last night to recommend that the College lift economic sanctions against South Africa.
The 16-0-1 vote called on the Board of Trustees to lift economic sanctions against companies that do business in South Africa. The Assembly said the Council on Investor Responsibility, which decides where Dartmouth will invest its endowment, should recommend reinvestment.
Assembly member Matthew Berry '94, who sponsored the motion, said an increasing number of American companies are operating in South Africa.
Berry also said African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela has called for the elimination of sanctions against South Africa, which Berry said permitted the College to invest with good conscience in the country.
Berry said the College would lose income by limiting its investment options.
"I'm very happy and I hope the Trustees will follow our recommendations," said Berry. "This resolution signals a shift to responsible policy-making."
Assembly members debated whether the resolution should call for investment in South Africa or just ask the Trustees to lift the sanctions.
Many members of the Assembly said the vote was an economic decision, not a political one. Some members said keeping student costs down by allowing the College to reinvest endowment money in lucrative companies that do business in South Africa was the main reason they supported the measure.
Danielle Moore '95 said she abstained from the vote because she missed part of the discussion and objected to the use of the word "black" in the resolution.
Grant Bosse '94 and Tim Rodenberger '95 were elected to co-chair the Ad Hoc Constitutional Committee, which will revise the Assembly constitution. One of the two will be a non-voting member of the Executive Committee.
The Assembly also discussed lowering ticket prices for Hopkins Center events, installing more on-campus telephones in public locations and installing Macintosh computers in Dartmouth Hall so that students can check their BlitzMail , the Hopkins Center and Berry Center.
The Assembly also discussed the drafting of the College hazing policy.