A Student Assembly that has looked like a punching bag the last 48 hours shrugged off a potential knockout blow last night to emerge staggering, but still standing.
And now the Assembly's 43 members face the daunting task of trying to forget their biggest controversy of the last few years and return to business.
An attempted coup by seven members of the Assembly's Executive Committee failed to even make it to the discussion stage because they did not adequately explain to the general Assembly or the student body why Artzer should be impeached.
Assembly Vice President Steve Costalas '94, one of the co-signers of a letter calling for Artzer's resignation, accepted the defeat of the coup, and tried to pull the divided Assembly together at the end of the meeting.
"It's been a tough week for me personally. I think that for student government of the College to continue functioning ... we need to put this week behind us," Costalas said.
"Everybody needs to get on board ... and move forward in a positive direction," he said. "I hope the entire Executive Committee will do so. I hope the entire general Assembly will do so, because ultimately we are responsible to the students of Dartmouth College."
And while Costalas has said he is willing to work with, and supports, Artzer, there still are six other Executive Committee members who asked for Artzer's resignation two days ago.
Matt Berry '94, Grant Bosse '94, Alex Morgan '95, John Steiner '94, Kenji Sugahara and Mark Waterstraat '94 all said they will stay on the Assembly for now, but it remains to be seen how they will interact with Artzer.
Berry said things still look bleak for the Assembly. "Obviously we're still divided. There's not going to be a consensus. It's bad - very bad," he said.
Junior Class President and Assembly representative Tim Rodenberger '95, who has worked closely with the executive committee while rewriting the Assembly constitution, perhaps put it best.
"I think it's going to be rough. It definitely will be in the back of everyone's mind," he said. "It's kind of like you're dating someone, you break up with them and you say you're going to be friends. The next time you see each other it's going to be awkward."
And many Assembly members said they agreed. The road to recovery for the Assembly may be long and twisted, but it still is driveable, as long as the Assembly members stay on the road.
"What's done is done," Bill Hall '96 said. "It's time to concentrate on working together ... I think we will be able to."
"The people who wanted to get her impeached should say 'Okay, fine, she wasn't impeached.' Deal with it, and work with her for the next four and a half months," Anna Ochoa '97 said.
