Modern American culture commonly tells us to use our "voices" so as to maintain individuality within our society. After all, most people would agree that America is not a country which praises uniformity, but rather chides it. This notion of a "voice," however, is nothing new. Among its many appearances on the Dartmouth campus, none is more obvious than on the Dartmouth masthead, where the motto "Vox Clamantis in Deserto" has found its home.
I would estimate that most people on the Dartmouth campus know the translation of the motto, yet perhaps fewer know its origin. "Vox" is Latin for voice, and "Clamantis" and "Deserto" might be slightly more obvious, meaning clamoring, or crying, and desert, or wilderness, respectively. Thus, the full motto is translated as "a voice crying in the wilderness." For those of you who do not know, this is a direct Biblical quotation from each of the four gospels in the New Testament. The voice spoken of is that of John the Baptist.
Above all other things, John the Baptist is probably best known for two events in his life: his baptism of Jesus, and his death by beheading. Both have been portrayed often in art, yet those are only two small instances in the framework of his life as a whole. The supposed purpose of the life of John the Baptist, according to scripture, was to proclaim the coming of Jesus, to "make his paths straight." And so he did, going out into the wilderness, eating locusts and wild honey, and fearlessly preaching the coming of the saviour to the inhabitants of Judea.
In the same way, we have come out to the wilderness of New Hampshire, seeking both a voice to teach us and an audience which might in turn listen to us. We go on our D.O.C. trips, eat cous-cous and granola and relive the spirit of John the Baptist. Some of us even indulge in self-baptism, full-immersion style, into the river upon our arrival at the Ravine Lodge. We are all missionaries in our own way, bringing our particular voices and ideas to the people who are willing to actually listen. Whether we cry out for Christ or for Allah, or even for our own personal cause, this is the perfect atmosphere to do so.
To Eleazar Wheelock, the founder of this institution, the goal was the same: To teach and preach the word of God to the Native Americans in the wilderness of New Hampshire. John the Baptist was a fitting model for his vision, just as he still is today. We should not necessarily laud John the Baptist for his particular convictions, yet rather for being an audible voice in the wilderness. Whether you perceive the wilderness to be the Dartmouth campus, Hanover itself or the world at large, we have ample opportunity for vocalization. We should heed our convictions and proclaim them outwards, just as John the Baptist cried out to those around him.
One newly-formed, college-recognized student organization, Voces Clamantium, is endeavoring to recapture the original focus of Eleazar Wheelock. By taking active strides towards its end, Voces will, in a sense, remind the campus of its early roots. This collective "voice," through meetings with students, faculty and administrators, strives to present the Christian world view as a viable option in the marketplace of ideas. Voces is doing this by addressing issues of ethics, morality and theism in an academic, intellectual environment, which is exactly what this college needs.
Often, organizations and institutions outgrow their original heritage, yet that is not always the case. Many people think that our nation as a whole needs to return to the basis of God, as intended by the fathers of the Constitution. The same idea is not entirely false for this college. The Judeo-Christian heritage is often treated unfairly in the modern forum, yet as many theists have shown, the ideas are not entirely outdated. With open-ended discussion, perhaps more students and faculty members will appreciate this.
As mentioned earlier, the campus is a stage, and we are not only the actors, but we may direct, produce, edit and write almost at will. Voces Clamantium is but a single example of the opportunity for dialogue apparent on campus. Remember the life of John the Baptist, and the fortitude of Eleazar Wheelock, both of whom followed their beliefs with boldness, and did not shy away from their conviction. Only through the interplay of ideas will progress be made and growth achieved, and what better place could there be for such activity than on a college campus?
