College President James Wright spoke on the topic of "Reflections and Expectations" last night at the Wren Room for the student group Voices.
Wright casually sat in front of an audience of a dozen students, one faculty member and one trustee.
Wright began with a personal history of his college education, which began after joining the Marines.
"I set out to be a historian," Wright said. "Only last year, I finally figured out what I wanted to do when I grew up, for the rest of my life," he added, referring to his presidency.
He proceeded to give a description of the College that he encountered when he first came to Hanover as a faculty member.
"The Dartmouth I came to in 1969 was very much a different place ... [it was] a time when the community was traumatized by divisions," he said.
He listed a number of major events that affected the campus, including the Vietnam War, George Wallace's visit, the 1970 shutdown of the school, and the introduction of coeducation and the D-plan.
"It was a campus that was far whiter than it is today," he said. "Athletics were very important and fraternities were very important."
After chairing two curriculum committees, serving as dean of faculty for eight years and provost for one and a half, the Trustees asked him to take on the role of President of the College.
"I've often thought president of Dartmouth is a wonderful thing to be," he said. "I enjoy it more now than when I first started."
"As president, my interest was in building those things that I thought were traditionally strong things of Dartmouth," he added.
He listed diversity, academic and intellectual life and out-of-classroom experience as those things.
Expounding on out-of-class experience, Wright discussed the Trustee's residential and social life initiative.
"There is no interest on my part, or [the Trustee's] part to manage student choices in who to associate with," he said. "In my view if you want to hang out with guys or a mixed group, that's up to you."
Wright also discussed the problem of alcohol abuse.
"We don't [eliminate alcohol abuse] with rules. We have to do it by changing what's considered normal or natural in the culture," he said. "We shouldn't think it's cool how drunk we can get tonight."
