To the Editor:
Last time I checked, Dartmouth was an academic institution. I'm glad there are people like Matt McDonald '00 willing to remind me otherwise. In his opinion column ["Don't Forget to Live," April 3, 1997, The Dartmouth], McDonald tells us the heartbreaking story of his roommate who missed out on that pinnacle of vicarious athleticism, the NCAA finals, because he had to study. McDonald expresses concern for that roommate whose "set of priorities is somewhat out of whack." Who can disagree?
McDonald asks us, "If you abstain from [parties, late nights, and watching sports], then what is it you are working for?" Certainly not an education, or a broadening of horizons, I hope. Perhaps McDonald simply worries that his roommate is of that rare breed of Ivy League stereotypes: the dork. But I worry more that academics are no longer a priority at an unquestionably academic institution. If you ask me, I say watch the game, stay up late, go to the party. But don't tell me that's all there is to life.
