Six senior women shared their experiences from four years at the College in a panel discussion last night, discussing topics ranging from sport and Greek participation to depression and ethnicity.
The annual panel discussion -- "Will the Women of Dartmouth Please Stand Up?!" -- was started in 1989 for outstanding senior women to attest to their time and views of the College.
A crowd of mainly women packed 105 Dartmouth Hall to hear this year's panel, which included Monique Roy '00, Vanessa Ferro '00, Beatrice Radakovich '00, Anne Mullins '00, Cara Fuller '00, and Dana Loebman '00.
Each speaker added a diverse voice and an important message for students.
"Comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable," Roy said, quoting a local bumper sticker and encouraging students to learn from the everyday challenges at Dartmouth as she said she did through her time as women's rugby captain.
Ferro emphasized the need for communication on campus and cited her Senior Fellowship on her Cuban American background as an innovative way to complete her four years of learning at the College.
"One thing we don't do well here is communicate in an honest, open way. We have to look for similarities where there are blatant differences and use those [differences] to facilitate instead of hinder true conversation."
Radakovich spoke about finding strength through moments of weakness, describing how she progressed from being a seemingly "perfect, invincible" freshman to an upperclassman dealing with depression and sexual assault. She encouraged students to learn and grow from their most trying experiences, and to resist conforming at Dartmouth.
"There are pressures here to 'be perfect', but this is a mistake, A, because none of us can live up to that, and B, it's boring. It's easy to put on the face, but harder to take time within your four years to be young, vulnerable, unsure ... and to grow, " Radakovich said.
Former Kappa Delta Epsilon president Mullins expanded on the idea of personal growth for everyone at Dartmouth, talking about her experiences of being Southern, Greek, and a Women's Studies major at Dartmouth.
"I see the future of Dartmouth moving to a social system that will expand experiences for everyone, not just the 'mainstream' of Dartmouth people. We have more of these issues on our minds, and we understand we have more responsibilities," Mullins said.
Responsibility was an important issue to Fuller as well, who spoke of her post-graduation plans to go back to her inner-city community to make a difference.
"We can dodge our responsibility, but we're all gifted and blessed, and have a responsibility to use our experiences to make things better for all." Fuller said.
Speaking last, former DOC trips director Loebman ended the panel on a happy note, describing her incredible enthusiasm for the school.
"Regardless of the things wrong with this place, somehow every fall, every student brings energy and enthusiasm to welcome the new class -- it's incredible, and that is Dartmouth."
