The Student Assembly allocated funds last night to subsidize student bus rides to Boston and New York City for Thanksgiving and at the end of this term and again passed a resolution which called for student voting in Board of Trustees elections.
The suffrage resolution which passed with minimal debate and only two votes in opposition, calls on College President James Wright and the Trustees to lend their support to the idea.
The resolution states the College is reviewing the way Trustees are elected and urges student involvement in this evaluation process.
The Assembly passed a similar resolution in 1997, but no action was taken by the Trustees.
At the time, Trustee Chairman Stephen Bosworth said adopting the Assembly's resolution would require altering the College Charter and "there is not much sentiment to go through the arduous process to change the Charter."
Assembly Vice President and resolution co-sponsor Case Dorkey '99 said the plan for student suffrage could have more impact this year than in the past because the resolution is coinciding with the election process review.
Currently, only College alumni are allowed to vote in an election for six of the Trustees. The other six Trustees are chosen internally by the Board.
"It's a part of the College's mission to train its students to participate in their communities," Dorkey said. "We should be able to participate in this community."
Very few concerns were raised during the brief debate last night about the resolution, but Assembly member Juan Gonzalez '02 said he thinks the goal could be better achieved through a continued dialogue with the Trustees which he said has yet to happen.
"It seems to me we might be pushing our luck," Gonzalez said.
The Assembly also voted last night to allocate up to $1,350 to subsidize student bus tickets to Boston and New York City before and after Thanksgiving and winter break.
The discounted tickets will cost $35 for a round-trip to Boston and $60 for a round-trip to New York and will be offered through Dartmouth Travel.
One bus would leave each day for four days before Thanksgiving and for seven days at the end of the term.
"It's been a traditional service of the Student Assembly, and I think students expect it now," Assembly member and resolution sponsor Beth Westman '99 said.
The only objection to the allocation involved questioning the efficiency of the one-bus schedule and the level of benefit for the entire student community.
"I've always thought this was kind of a stupid idea for the Student Assembly to be doing," Assembly member Scott Jacobs '99 said. "I think it's a waste of money."
The resolution passed with nearly unanimous support with only Student Life Chair Teresa Knoedler '00 voting in opposition.
It was also announced at the meeting that Ryan Clark '01 and Assembly member Evelyn Chen '01 will chair the Course and Professor Evaluation Guide Task Force which the Assembly voted to create last week.
The task force's outlined goal is to create an on-line guide to evaluate professors and courses at the College.
