You have been given the opportunity to prove that student opinion truly matters on this campus.
The Trustees have issued an adequate compromise to the Dartmouth community. Their statement is seen as acceptable largely because it didn't implement the drastic, sweeping changes that many members of the community earlier craved or dreaded.
We still have reservations about the Trustees' decisions. We disagree with some of the key points and these serious concerns will be elaborated in the near future.
However, the Trustees have now cemented a major commitment -- financial and otherwise. The campus has been given resources which must now be used in a way that reflects the past 14 months of community discussion, and you will largely decide how to spend it.
The Trustees are the most effectively insulated body from student opinion. Safely removed from campus politics,they have taken some of the pressure off you by micromanaging the most potentially explosive details. They have continued the moratorium on the creation of any new residential, selective, single-sex organizations. They have recommended the removal of tap systems, mass refrigeration units and permanent bars from CFS houses. They have moved rush from sophomore fall to winter. In short, they have made the unpopular decisions for you.
So, as Dean of the College, you have every reason to consider the past 14 months of dialogue in making the decisions left to you. You have the power to implement a detailed plan that reflects the opinions of the student body. You have the power to decide that students may live in CFS houses in the summer. You have the power to move the Women's Resource Center to a better permanent location. Now is the time to give Dartmouth students what they have spent their time requesting. Don't just listen to their opinions. Act upon them.
In regards to the Greek system, the Trustees have deviated in significant ways from the majority of student opinion. However, you should be applauded for yesterday's decision not to impose the controversial requirement restricting anyone but seniors and junior officers from house residency, but it cannot stop there. You must continue to actively consider the students as you work out the details of the Student Life Initiative.
If you wish the continued involvement of Dartmouth students in community issues, you must value their input now more than ever.
