How does an organization create a substance-free, intimate environment where all Dartmouth students can interact in a different way than campus organizations with similar goals, like Asgard or the Programming Board?
This is the question the founders of Dartmouth United are still struggling with. Dartmouth United formed last term with the goal of increasing social options at Dartmouth
In its statement of purpose, the organization said it intends to bring "Dartmouth's diverse student population together in a positive, high-energy, substance-free environment."
Phil Lord '97 and Jay Lavender '97 came up with the idea for a new social organization in a conversation last spring.
"Me and Jay had this conversation. We started talking about two things," Lord said. "Why does it seem like the kids that are different are kind of off in the corners? The other thing is why is the social life so centered around drinking to extremes?"
Lord said Dartmouth United is an attempt to come up with answers to those problems.
"The idea was how do we bring different parts of Dartmouth together," Lord said. "How do we create an environment where everyone feels welcome?"
About 15 to 20 students are meeting three times a week to try and hammer out the shape the organization will take, Lord said.
These students are also trying to speak to as many different campus organizations as possible
"We spent this week doing outreach stuff to get an idea of what people in those different organizations are looking for," said Theresa Ellis '97, who is involved with Dartmouth United.
While the ideas behind Dartmouth United seem similar to the goals of groups ranging from the Programming Board to Amarna undergraduate society, Lord said Dartmouth United is trying to fulfill a need on campus these organizations have not quite managed to do.
Lord said the fact that Amarna has a membership, even though it is completely open, leads to exclusion, while the Collis Center, the Programming Board and Asgard lack intimacy.
At the moment, Lord said the group is trying to draft a constitution to get official recognition from the Council of Student Organizations.
The organizers seem to have decided Dartmouth United will have no structured membership.
"We're still in the process of trying to decide what we want to do," Ellis said. "The thought is that everyone at Dartmouth will be a member and that there will be people who are actively involved."
Lord said membership leads to exclusion, which goes counter to Dartmouth United's mission.
"We're not so interested in members," Lord said. "When you start to have a set membership, then anyone who is not a member tends to feel on the outside."
Lord also stressed Dartmouth United's emphasis on a substance-free environment is not meant to be anti-Greek.
"There's a lot of options in the Greek organizations, a lot of drinking that goes on that pretty much you can find any time," said David Jackson '97, a Dartmouth United organizer and a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity.
Jackson said Dartmouth United would at least provide a chance for students to have a good time in a space without alcohol.
But the founders all say they do not know exactly what Dartmouth United will look like in the end.
Ideally, Lord said he would like some sort of physical plant but does not know whether such a space could be obtained on-campus.
Lord said he does not want the organization to be perceived as being against any campus group and said he hopes to have as much participation in the drafting of Dartmouth United's constitution and other aspects of its operations as possible.
