The four years during which the Class of 1999 has attended the College have been among the most eventful in Dartmouth history. The period comprised a sweeping turnover in the College's administration, several changes and proposed alterations to the Greek system and a number of tragic events that saddened the campus.
The first major news as the Class of 1999 arrived on campus as freshmen involved tragedy. In the summer of 1995, three-sport star Sarah Devens '96 had committed suicide with a gun in her Massachusetts home.
Devens starred for the Green in field hockey and ice hockey, and was an All-American in lacrosse. She had been awarded a prize as the College's outstanding female athlete.
"Sarah's death was very shocking," Courtney Bell '96 told The Dartmouth. "It was really difficult in the fall being seniors."
Freshman year
The fall became even more uneasy for upperclassmen and the new Class of 1999 as three subsequent suicides of individuals related to the College dominated headlines.
In October, Marcus Rice '94, who had never completed his graduation requirements, committed suicide in his Tarrytown, N.Y. home.
His father, Bereley Rice, said his son had been suffering from depression for several years. The depression had caused him to withdraw from the College in 1993.
Only two weeks after Rice took his own life, Philip Deloria '96, a former president of the Native Americans at Dartmouth association, hung himself in his Grantham apartment.
Early in Winter term, another student who had failed to complete his graduation requirements, Anthony Lightfoot '92, shot himself in the head with a rifle in a Seattle skyscraper. While at the College, Lightfoot plead guilty to violating the civil rights of an African-American student for sending him a threatening letter, and was sentenced to five years of probation in federal court.
During 1996, several hate-related incidents also made news.
In Fall term, unidentified individuals threw dirt at the window of a student in Lord residence hall who had hung a Dartmouth Rainbow Alliance flag outside of her window. Homophobic slurs were written on doors bearing "Gay Friendly Space" stickers.
In February, two Asian-American men in Little residence hall and two Asian-American men living off-campus discovered racial slurs written on their doors.
In response to these incidents, a rally against injustice brought more than 400 students together in front of Parkhurst Hall. Over 40 students and faculty members spoke at the event.
During the summer, the College began to upgrade to Ethernet for student communication use.
Also during the summer, the Beta Theta Pi fraternity was disciplined by the College after several violations, including the tackling of a member of Sigma Nu fraternity by several Beta brothers.
In July, a gas leak at Burke Laboratory sent three members of Delta Gamma sorority to the hospital. Only one woman needed treatment.
In late July, William McCallum, a New Hampshire assistant attorney general, was arrested for a March 1995 theft of art belonging to the College. McCallum was convicted in January, 1998.
Dartmouth was in the spotlight again when anthropology professor Dale Eicklemann told newspapers he built bombs with the unabomber suspect when they were in high school together.
Sophomore year
The 1996-97 school year marked the 25th anniversary of coeducation at Dartmouth, and the College celebrated by inviting women speakers to events.
During the Fall, the Dartmouth football team enjoyed an undefeated season, winning its 17th Ivy League football title. In the Winter, the women's basketball team won the Ivy League to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The College de-recognized Beta in December after a series of offenses that included having alcohol in its house during the Fall term of 1996, a violation of the house's probation.
An unknown group wrote messages in chalk around campus accusing fraternities of rape and homophobia.
"Frats assault. Frats rape. Frats suck," one message said.
A student was anonymously accused of rape when posters bearing his face were put up all over campus.
A series of "Bear Bones" comic strips published in The Dartmouth sparked anger among some and considerable campus debate. Some students believed the strips perpetuated negative Asian stereotypes.
Author David Berenson '99 defended the cartoons by saying he uses the strips to expose the errors of existing stereotype
Perhaps the year's biggest controversy centered around a Dartmouth Dining Services proposal to mandate a minimum $800 declining balance account meal plan.
DDS claimed to have lost over $400,000, and DDS administrators explained to angry students that an $800 charge was the absolute minimum necessary to recover the losses.
This event convinced the Student Assembly to conduct a campus-wide poll in order to gauge student opinion. Students overwhelmingly voted to cut services at DDS and a revised plan was proposed, including the closing of Collis Cafe on weekends and the option of several levels of nonrefundable DBA.
The New Hampshire primary season brought virtually every major candidate to the College for campaigning.
The College lost two well-known professors to tragedy in 1996. Native American Studies Professor Michael Dorris committed suicide in April and Chemistry Professor Karen Wetterhahn died of dimethylmercury poisoning in June.
Junior year
The resignations of numerous Dartmouth administrative power-players marked the Class of 1999's junior year.
College President James Freedman announced in September that he would step down after last year's Commencement, ending 11 years of service.
College Provost James Wright informed Freedman that he would also resign. The Board of Trustees announced in April that Wright would succeed Freedman as president of the College.
DDS Director Pete Napolitano resigned to accept a new position at Middlebury College in Vermont, and Tucker Rossiter took over as head of DDS.
During Winter term, Dean of the College Lee Pelton announced he too would resign the following year to accept a position as president of Willamette College.
College Vice President and Treasurer Lyn Hutton and Dean of Residential Life Mary Turco announced their resignations at the beginning of Spring term.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees Stephen Bosworth was sworn in as the U.S. ambassador to South Korea in November. While many believed he would resign as chairman of the Board, he said he would stay in his position for the remainder of his term.
The Trustees asserted their will in one of the College's biggest controversies of the year. Despite being opposed by the majority of the Design Review Committee, plans for the $50 million Berry Library project were accepted by the Trustees.
Several art history professors led a movement against the plans, presenting a petition with signatures of 1,550 individuals - most of them students - to Bosworth.
The new library was the cornerstone of the College's northward expansion project which includes the nearly complete Moore Psychology Hall and the not yet begun Kemeny math building.
Another major controversy arose as a result of the fall report of the College Committee on Alcohol and Other Drugs. The CCAOD recommended to Pelton that the College restrict the number of kegs at parties and allow Safety and Security officers to monitor Greek events.
During Spring term, Pelton issued a new alcohol policy, a compromise between the CCAOD's recommendations and a Coed Fraternity and Sorority Council response. Under the new policy, up to five kegs are allowed at open events, kegs are prohibited during sophomore summer, and Safety and Security officers, accompanied by student monitors, are allowed to enter Greek houses during parties.
Two sophomores were seriously injured in October. Dan Becker '00 suffered injuries in a climbing accident, and Adam Dansiger '00 sustained massive head injuries in a one-car accident.
In November, five years after its construction was approved, the $4 million Roth Center for Jewish Life officially opened.
During the beginning of Winter term, the sisters of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority moved into the house at 6 Webster Ave. which was formerly occupied by Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
Two student publications drew fire for their content. The Jack-O-Lantern humor magazine printed several pieces in the fall that some students found offensive. Uncommon Threads, a feminist cultural journal, printed an article about a lesbian encounter that raised some students' hackles.
As one of the highlights of a weekend of celebration of the College's 25th anniversary of coeducation, actress Meryl Streep, winner of two Academy Awards and a nine-time Oscar nominee, was honored with the Dartmouth Film Award. Hundreds of alumni returned to campus to participate in the weekend's events.
Three-time Academy Award-winning writer and director Oliver Stone received the Dartmouth Film Award during Winter term. Stone was honored by a tribute in the Hopkins Center.
In February, Brian de Moya '00 alleged he was threatened and mistreated by Safety and Security officers. Pelton formed a panel to look into the complaint. The panel decided no action needed to be taken.
Junior year brought prominent figures in politics, religion and the arts to campus. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson was the Montgomery Fellow for an entire term - the first fellow since Winter term 1996 to remain in residence for a full 10 weeks.
Conservative pundit William F. Buckley gave a speech in Rollins Chapel in late January. He said Dartmouth should not be afraid of the ideal on which he said the College was founded - to Christianize its Christian students.
Boxing promoter Don King discussed racism and the history of America in a February speech.
King's speech included descriptions of "Indians running around the plains, shooting bows and arrows and smoking the peace pipe," that offended some students.
April brought speeches by then Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich and presidential candidate Lamar Alexander.
Former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed spoke on family values in May. Outside the speech, members of the DRA protested Reed's conservative views.
Locking residence hall entry ways was an another issue which galvanized the campus this year. The administration backed-off door locking temporarily after a Student Assembly vote in favor of the controversial action caused considerable student outcry. Many students said they
The Olympic victory of the U.S. Women's Hockey team, whose members included Dartmouth alumni and a Dartmouth student, was significant sports news.
Senior year
This year has been at least as noteworthy as any other in the last four, with the inauguration of the College's 16th president and the president's Winter term announcement of the Trustees Five Principles. Dartmouth also earned national news coverage for the infamous "ghetto party" during Fall term.
The announcement of the Five Principles was perhaps the biggest news at the College since coeducation.
"TRUSTEES TO END GREEK SYSTEM 'AS WE KNOW IT,'" screamed the Feb. 10 headline in The Dartmouth.
In an oft-repeated and parodied line, Wright explained, "This is not a referendum on these things. We are committed to doing this."
The news set off a torrent of unhappy responses that culminated in a march to the president's house on Webster Avenue where approximately 1,000 students gathered to sing the College's alma mater.
To protest the announcement and to prevent embarrassing incidents from being broadcast to a national audience, the CFSC canceled all parties for the upcoming Winter Carnival weekend. A protest rally took the place of the traditional Psi Upsilon fraternity keg jump.
Since the announcement of the Principles, a number of anti-Initiative groups have sprung up. The Student Assembly passed a resolution supporting the CFSC's prerogative in the matter, mimicking the style of the Five Principles.
This Spring, Green Key weekend proceeded as usual.
A Dartmouth party in the Fall gave rise to an widely-printed Associated Press article and a discussion on ABC television's "Politically Incorrect." The so-called "ghetto party," cosponsored by Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity and Alpha Xi Delta sorority, was criticized for being insensitive and racist.
Several editorials offering apology failed to placate certain members of the Dartmouth community and several panel discussions were organized to discuss the issue.
In the midst of these controversies, James Wright spent his first year as president of Dartmouth College. A number of new administrators joined the Dartmouth community following the rash of resignations triggered by the departure of former president Freedman.
Former University of California Los Angeles Law School Dean Susan Prager officially replaced Wright as College Provost in February. James Larimore, the assistant to the provost at Stanford University and a former admissions officer at Dartmouth, was chosen to return to Dartmouth as the next dean of the College starting next month.
With the Montgomery Fellowship in the Winter, the College brought in six distinguished journalists and writers to speak on "Power and the Presidency." David McCullough, Robert Caro, Michael Beschloss, Edmund Morris, Doris Kearns Goodwin and David Maraniss gave speeches to packed crowds in Cook Auditorium throughout the term.
In the Spring, former executive editor of the Washington Post Ben Bradlee came to finish the lecture series with a discussion of Richard Nixon, a President he helped to bring down by coordinating reporting on the Watergate scandal.
A round of hate mailings hit campus this year targeting homosexuals, Jews and members of other groups. Some campus leaders received the offensive cartoon books mailed anonymously to their Hinman boxes.
The cartoons were mailed with the return address of the Campus Crusade for Christ, but that group denied all involvement. The College later discovered who the sender was but refused to release the name.
In another legal matter, Jeffrey Sudikoff '77, who donated more than $3 million for the construction of the College's computer science laboratory, plead guilty in February to insider-trading charges in connection with his Los Angeles-based communications firm.
The College has said it will not change the name of the buuilding.
