To the Editor:
This morning I read your comments about the class of 1998 and decided I need to vomit. First I thought that I should approach the article with an open mind and that I needed to respect what was being said. Let's face it, the class of 1998 does not have a candidate for presidency and that proposes some problem. I agree.
But that does not justify the fact that the class of 1998 lacks leadership. Since when does leadership come in only one shape such as president? Can't leadership define itself in other ways: art, theater, community service, academics and sports? What about the members of the Class of 1998 that write for The Dartmouth, or those who work 10 hours a week to pay for their tuition? And those who teach drill? We have playwrights and musicians and scholars and jokesters and marathon runners in our class!
I realize that our class attitude towards student government may be apathetic but I find it unfair and an overgeneralization to claim that the Class of 1998 is on a whole apathetic! What bothers me most is the fact that people do not seem to appreciate each others' strengths and weaknesses without comparing them to a different class. Individuals have different priorities and these priorities should still be valued regardless of whether they are not mainstream. It might just be that the Class of 1998 is not as interested in student government as was the Class of 1997 or 1996, etc.
I hope that the person who does step up to Randi Barnes' position does so because he or she feels that they will not only help the Class of 1998 but that they will have the opportunity to grow as a student leader. I also hope that this person will keep people laughing in the tradition of humorous leaders such as Barnes.
