This article was motivated, in part, by Ryan Carey's article in a recent issue of The Dartmouth. Mr. Carey wrote, "I've been struck at the lack of attention paid to the rest of the report." I would like to extend Mr. Carey's comments even further. Throughout this ENTIRE process, there has been a lack of attention paid to the all other aspects of residential and social life at Dartmouth. This is partly due to the media's attention to the Greek issue and partly due to the fact that it is the only one where members of the Dartmouth community disagree with each other
Throughout this entire process, there has been a lack of discussion about other issues. Without question, the Committee on Student Life Initiative's report shows that they didn't forget. According to Trustee Susan Denzer, the proposed residential life system is "the centerpiece of the (our) proposal." Regarding this proposed Residential Life system, I think I read a different report than Mr. Carey. The proposal suggests a goal of 1075 students per class. It calls for significant improvements to Thayer Dining Hall, and with the exception of some snack bars in the clusters, mentions nothing of building dining halls in the residence halls. That being said, how does this report "smack of residential colleges?" How does the report "lay the groundwork for an unparalleled expansion of the Dartmouth student population?"
Furthermore, other recommendations, such as a replacement for Webster Hall, have gone unnoticed. Students have fought for this since the closing of Webster. Now, the committee recommends a replacement and no one seems to care. Improvements to Thayer, Collis, more student performance space, better athletic spaces -- has anyone noticed these recommendations?
The proposed changes to the residential life system should be applauded. It is appalling that Dartmouth cannot house all of the students who wish to live on-campus. Countless dorm rooms need to be decompressed. In addition, one of the stronger recommendations calls for an increased presence of professional residential life staff in the dorms. Perhaps this will entail changing the current Area Coordinator position from a student held position to a full-time professional position. Dartmouth is one of the few schools where undergraduates hold such positions. At most comparable schools, the position is held either by graduate students or full-time non-student employees. Some schools, such as Northwestern, are presently switching to professional staff.
Being an AC and a full-time student concurrently is very difficult. I know, I was an AC. There was never enough time to devote to being an AC and to my coursework. An increased presence of professional staff in the residence halls will dramatically increase the quality of programming in the residence halls, provide a better trained and supervised (and overall stronger) student staff, and will greatly enhance the quality of students' residential life experience.
Eleven months ago, a question was posed to the Dartmouth community: How should the current residential and social system be changed ? The overwhelming answer -- Defend the status quo of the Greek system. It's like everyone forgot what the question was! For the past eleven months, I have heard countless people defend the Greek system. Instead of discussing how to improve the Greek system, students and alumni have discussed how perfect their houses are and how the system does not need to change. Aside from a small, couragous group of seniors who recommended the elimation of the Greek system, how many students have proposed significant changes to the Greek system ?
I'm sure there were some suggesting the complete elimination of the Greek system and I know for a fact that many recommended cosmetic and minor changes. How many proposals really recommended significant changes to the Greek system without completely eliminating it?
How about the Student Assembly? In the longest meeting in their history at the end of May, they discussed one of the few proposals which proposed significant changes to the Greek system -- the Five Principles Working Group report. As many of you may recall, the SA voted to endorse only the tamest and most cosmetic changes regarding the Greek system in that report.
Most of the student body could not answer the question. Now, eleven months later, the Committee on Student Life Initiative has provided their answer to the question and everyone seems shocked and appalled by the recommendations. Did people really think that the Greek system was not going to radically change? Eleven months ago, a simple question was asked of us. ALL of us. Few people seemed interested in answering it. Now, the Committee on Student Life Initiative has given us their answer.
