This weekend, student leaders from Ivy League schools will visit Hanover to participate in the Ivy Council conference, a three-day meeting to discuss issues faced by students in the Ivy League.
The discussions, made possible by bringing together representatives of all eight Ivy League schools, will focus on the topic "Defining Ourselves: Student Activism in the Ivy league."
Representing Dartmouth will be Student Assembly Vice President Rukimini Sichitiu '95, Treasurer Scott Rowekamp '97, Communications Co-chair Brandon Del Pozo '96 and member Meredith Epstein '97.
Three weeks ago, a steering committee met at the University of Pennsylvania to discuss the date and agenda for the conference which occurs once a term. Assembly President Danielle Moore '95, Epstein and Del Pozo represented the College at that meeting.
Epstein said the array of issues on the agenda this weekend is too broad to be discussed by the full council. The council will divide into smaller groups during "breakout sessions," which will be lead by professors.
This semester the Ivy Council, now in its fifth year, will look at a number of issues in the context of the three sessions: Academic Affairs, Empowerment and Identity.
The academic affairs group will discuss curriculum, tenure, freedom of expression and the balance between social and intellectual life
The empowerment discussions will look at student power and how it is affected by issues like campus access, financial issues and access to information.
The mini-session on identity will discuss alcohol, gender issues, the identity of student government and campus climate.
Epstein said she feels that students at all Ivy league schools face different problems and issues and the conference is an opportunity to bring students together to discuss those issues.
The members of the Steering Committee "all agreed it is a forum for information exchange," Epstein said.
"It benefits everyone who participates," Rowekamp said. "The more communication we have with other schools the more knowledge we are going to have about how we should run our student governments."
Aside from planning the agenda for this weekend's meeting, the steering committee, especially Dartmouth's representatives, is responsible for planning meals and lodging for the delegates to the conference, Epstein said.
The College will not pay for hotel accommodations for students from other schools but will make a list of area hotels available, Epstein said.
Saturday night there will be a keynote address on student activism. The speaker has not yet been determined.
