Citing a need to create more positive interaction between the students of the College, the College administration and the town of Hanover, Tom O'Shea '96 is trying to create a Hanover Community Relations Board.
O'Shea, the Administrative Intern at Safety and Security, has been working side-by-side on this project with his mentor, Proctor Bob McEwen.
The board, which is expected to include Dartmouth students, College administrators, faculty members and community leaders, will hold its first meeting on Feb. 14.
Despite the failures of similar efforts in previous years, O'Shea wrote in an electronic-mail message "this promises to be better because we have people who are committed to making it work."
"It is a very open, informal setting, and provides an excellent opportunity for us as students to have a say," O'Shea wrote.
Though the time commitment will be quite minimal, it will be "a fantastic experience builder," O'Shea wrote.
Among the student representatives on the board, James Gallo '99, said he believes the issues, like racism, expressed at last week's town meeting in Collis Common Ground need to be addressed by both the College and the town communities.
Last Friday, Hanover Police Chief Nick Giaconne spoke at the Colors rally about the services the Hanover Police Department can provide students who are victims of racism or hate speech.
Andrew Rodriguez '96 said the concerns of the community cannot be settled on an individual basis, and that "a formal body is currently necessary to allow both sides to come together."
"It's easy for the town to just accept us as college kids having a good time," said Martin Dengler '97. "But, we're just as much a part of the Hanover community as they are."
Dengler maintains that "it's good for the College and the town to work off each other."
Others, like Chad Northrup '96, have more specific interests.
Northrup, a brother at Sigma Phi Epsilon, hopes to address the "little rifts forming between the students and the town of Hanover ... particularly those involving the Greek system."
Though most board members are optimistic about the project, Rodriguez said "we can't predict the effectiveness of our efforts until we actually sit down and get started."
A recent advertisement placed in The Dartmouth stating the board's goal to "develop strategies to maintain a positive community environment" drew a favorable response among students.
O'Shea wrote that he expects the board to meet at least twice per term.
