To the Editor:
Change comes slowly. Changes to the Dartmouth campus take years and the cost is often astronomical. I am sure that nobody -- neither the students nor administration -- feels that the available social space is adequate for the students' needs; however, the addition of large programming areas is not feasible during our tenure at the college.
Complaining, like Shannon Lenahan '98 did in her editorial on Feb. 19th ["Social Space: Dartmouth Students Don't Know What They're Missing," The Dartmouth], is not a productive means of accomplishing a solution to the perceived dearth of social options on this campus. Lenahan places the burden of revitalizing the social scene on the administration. Yet, as Dean Pelton frequently reminds us, since we are members of the "Dartmouth Community" social programming is also the students' responsibility. If we as students feel that there is something missing on this campus, we should take the initiative to try to determine ways to alleviate the problem rather than putting the blame on others.
While Lenahan's ideas, such as a larger Lone Pine Tavern and a twenty-four hour diner, are interesting and may enliven the social scene at Dartmouth, these ideas are not feasible short term solutions to satisfy her desire for increased social options. It is important to remember that Dartmouth is a small college with under 5,000 students enrolled at any given time. The small student population makes maintaining expensive social options like a bowling alley both unreasonable and extremely difficult.
Lenahan also compares Dartmouth to larger schools. However, if she investigated the situation, she would find that these institutions, by virtue of their size, have a larger endowment and thus are more likely to have increased funding allocated towards financing social events. In addition, a larger student population makes attendance at social events higher and easier to maintain over a long time period. The colleges that Lenahan mentions are located in metropolis areas, and not the relative isolation of Hanover. Schools comparable to Dartmouth's size and geographic isolation, such as Skidmore have social options that pale by Dartmouth standards (and, gasp, they have to pay for alcohol).
However, we certainly do not want to stifle good ideas or creativity. If Lenahan feels that her ideas are worthwhile long-term solutions, rather than complain in the pages of The Dartmouth, she should set the ball in motion and speak to the appropriate administrators and student leaders about how these ideas can be made into reality.
In addition, Lenahan, like every enrolled Dartmouth student, pays a Student Activities Fee to support social options on this campus. This allows students to attend FREE or inexpensive comedy shows, coffeehouses, dances (like the Drag Ball and the Friday Night Dance Club), performances (like Peter Tucker's Credo), ice skating, cultural dinners and many more events that are planned and organized by students who are doing something productive to create a better social scene at Dartmouth. If Lenahan, or any other student, has an idea for a social event, there are many avenues to pursue including completing a Programming Board proposal, planning with an ORL Programming Assistant, or speaking with a CFS Programming Chair. These social programmers are always looking for great ideas. Dartmouth may not have all the events one is looking for, but there is definitely the opportunity to become involved and help bring new and different activities to this campus.
So, now that Lenahan has "put up a stink," we hope that she will turn to more productive means of bettering the social scene on campus rather than whining about her perception that there is a lack of social options at Dartmouth.
