Six female seniors described how their views of the College and themselves have evolved over the past four years in a panel discussion yesterday afternoon.
About 80 students, mostly women, attended the discussion titled "Will the Women of Dartmouth Please Stand Up?" in Room 3 of the Rockefeller Center.
Jenny Ellis '96, Herlena Harris '96, Maura Kelly '96, Kira Lawrence '96, Maribel Sanchez '96 and Shilyh Warren '96.
Carolyn Wolff '97, who moderated the panel, described the panelists as student leaders whose voices may have escaped notice.
Lawrence, a member of the women's basketball team and a nominee to the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, said despite the stereotype that Dartmouth is a male-dominated campus, her experience at Dartmouth has largely been influenced by "strong women."
"My perception of Dartmouth has changed over time," she said.
After entering with an idealized picture of Dartmouth, Lawrence said she adjusted her opinions to fit the reality of campus life.
Lawrence said Dartmouth's location, people and academics have contributed to her "very positive experience at Dartmouth."
"What you take away from Dartmouth is the ability to learn," she said.
Her dedication to her studies and to the basketball team has prevented her "from being disenchanted with the social scene here," Lawrence said.
But Warren said she has had difficulty adjusting to Dartmouth's social scene. She said she would go to a different college if she could make the decision again.
"Socially, Dartmouth is inept," Warren said. "The social scene here at Dartmouth has really frustrated me," she said.
Warren said the Greek system contributes to Dartmouth's lack of social options.
Harris, who is the former co-chair of the Dartmouth Rainbow Alliance, said she has been frustrated by Dartmouth's homogeny.
Harris, who said she is the first person from her family to go to college, cited a lack of diversity and interaction between different factions as problems with the Dartmouth experience.
"Just because you put different people on a campus doesn't mean it's diversity," she said.
Harris said she had to redefine her identity at Dartmouth after she came out of the closet during her sophomore year. Harris said her best Dartmouth experience was a volunteer position in Florida during a leave term, where she worked with AIDS patients.
"My senior plan was to come back here and give Dartmouth hell," Harris said.
Ellis, a founding member of Amarna undergraduate society, said she gave up rowing on the crew team after two years at the College.
"I wanted to expand my horizons and get to know another part of Dartmouth," she said.
Ellis said she helped found Amarna because she was disenchanted with the College's social options.
Ellis spent a term in Mexico on a Tucker Fellowship where she worked with Guatemalan refugees.
The fellowship changed Ellis' perception of the world and fueled her desire to volunteer after college, she said.
She advised Dartmouth students to take advantage of the many off-campus programs available.
Kelly, the co-chair of Amnesty International's Dartmouth chapter, said she knew very little about the College when she arrived four years ago.
After working for Greenpeace in Texas during her sophomore winter, Kelly said she returned to the campus with more self-confidence and strengthened interest in the environment.
Kelly said her experience has been positive, but there are things about Dartmouth she would change.
"If I really had my way, I'd abolish the Greek system," Kelly said. "Too many people hide behind their houses," she said.
Kelly said she would stay at Dartmouth for four more years despite her frustration with the Greek system.
Sanchez, an accomplished member of the cross-country and track teams, said running has defined her identity at Dartmouth.
"I've had to give up a lot of things and make a lot of sacrifices," but it was worth it, she said.
Creating your experience at Dartmouth is "all about the choices that you make," Sanchez said.
The panel fielded questions from the audience, many of which dealt with the Greek System.
