There are are those who feel that Dartmouth needs more of it and there are others who feel quite content with the status of intellectualism here. I have the answer to whether or not we should be concerned about the level of intellectualism here, ending all debate on this issue once and for all.
To put it plainly, Dartmouth does not need to be concerned with raising the level of intellectualism because, quite frankly, the majority of the students just don't want any more. We don't need any more than we have already. According to a survey taken by The Princeton Review, Dartmouth students work hard so that they can get it out of the way in order to have more of a social life. As a matter of fact, Dartmouth is considered by many to be the most anti-intellectual school in the Ivy League. But what of it?
We at Dartmouth need to focus more on social options. That is a very practical concern. Intellectualism? We get enough of that in the classroom. Why in the world would a sane person be concerned with discussing thought provoking issues or radical ideas outside of class? That is just too much thinking for one's health!
Are you someone who dreads the fact that we at Dartmouth are not as intellectual as one would think Ivy Leaguers should be? Why don't you join the administration in its quest to stimulate intellectualism at the College. Go ahead, help them push through that "super dorm" idea that is supposed to galvanize thought and intellectual discussion among the students and faculty. Since our college has forced us to take three physical education requirements for graduation so that we will develop sound bodies, why don't you just go help them out with the "sound mind" part. Go help the administration force people here at Dartmouth to become more intellectual. Maybe we all should be forced to be part of intellectual discussion groups.
If going the administrative route is not for you, Mr. or Ms. Intellectual, then you would fare better by spending the bulk of your Dartmouth life in Baker. Who knows, you just might run into a soul mate. Just that somebody who has been dying to discuss Kant or quantum mechanics or Faulkner or Rachmaninoff. Live at Baker, eat at Baker, sleep at Baker. You just might find what you are looking for.
Not satisfied? Well, then you will just have to transfer to a more intellectual college like Oxford or Harvard. At the latter place, according to the Dartmouth students who went to the Harvard game, the students are a bunch of geeks and nerds. I actually know someone there who on Fridays, instead of hitting the clubs, goes out for tea with his friends to discuss Milton and other literary writers. Isn't that just lovely? Just the bunch a blooming intellectual like you would perfectly fit into!
Transferring is not possible or just not worth it, you say? The only advice I have for you is that if you can't swim against the stream or find another river suited to your taste, then just "go with the flow." Become a true member of the Dartmouth community. Did you not read the recent column by Brandon del Pozo '96 in this paper? Our tuition at Dartmouth is not for learning, it is primarily for gaining connections! And connections lead to jobs in investment banking and financial consulting! And those in turn lead to money, money, and more money! Do you really think that once you start making all that money it is going to make any difference to you whether or not you were part of an intellectual community? I hardly think it will.
We are ranked number one in teaching among all the colleges in the country by U.S. News & World Report. But we are ranked somewhere around 17 for academic reputation. Somewhat strange, but do you see many students raising a ruckus about it? They just don't care! So what? And if the students do not want it, if they do not have the urge to voluntarily discuss ideas into the middle of the night or over a meal, what are you going to do?
It must be a sad state of affairs for you, Mr. and Ms. I-am-dying-for-some-intellectualism. But I must tell you, intellectualism is mainly grounded in the students of a college community. If the students at Dartmouth do not get excited about debating and struggling with ideas outside of the classroom, intellectualism will never flourish as it should.
