Town Manager Julia Griffin defended Hanover's decision to cut down the rope swing yesterday evening at the Student Assembly's Town and Gown relations meeting at the Top of the Hop, which attracted a vocal crowd of 35 College administrators, students and Hanover residents.
The open discussion about the rope swing and town-gown relations was headed by a panel that included Dean of the College James Larimore, Hanover Town Manager Julia Griffin, Assembly summer President J.R. Lederer '02 and Mary Kendall Brown, a college employee and Hanover resident who initially contacted the Assembly about having the meeting.
Griffin opened the discussion by explaining her decision to remove the rope swing. She cited noise complaints by the neighborhood and safety issues as the two main reasons why the town can no longer tolerate rope swing usage on its land.
The town liability carrier also insisted on its removal, since Hanover does not have sufficient liability to cover any rope swing accident lawsuits.
The rope swing as well as the rope swing tree were originally supposed to be cut down by early July. Because of the complexity of the tree's root system, however, Hanover decided to leave the tree standing.
Though rumors circulated earlier this week that the rope swing and the tree to which the rope is attached had already been cut down, both are currently still intact.
However, the town will be fencing off the trunk, removing the rope and wooden steps leading to it and posting a sign to clearly forbid use of the tree by any would-be rope swingers. The Public Works Department will be in charge of cutting down the swing as soon as they have an opportunity, Griffin said.
The town will also continue to more strictly enforce the law that bans the use of the recreational area between sunrise and sunset. This ordinance was originally enacted as the first step to curb the disturbance of the neighborhood by rope swingers and midnight swimmers, but it did not prove effective enough.
Hanover residents at the meeting were able to express their side of the issue. They were quick to acknowledge that it was not just Dartmouth students using the rope swing, but high school students, people from other towns and even Hanover residents themselves.
However, they argued that the traffic of rope swingers and swimmers routinely disturbs the peace of their neighborhood, which Griffin described as "the kind of neighborhood where children learn to ride their bikes." Thirteen children live on Downing Road alone, where the path to the rope swing is located, one resident noted.
Residents also expressed a sincere concern for the safety of people who swim in the river and use the rope swing, especially late-night or inebriated swimmers.
"It is a safety issue above all," Barbara Hull said. "Accidents happen, and sometimes late at night, the students can behave irresponsibly. It is a dangerous situation."
Hull spoke from the heart, as her own son drowned at night in a water-related accident. She and her husband founded Nathan's Garden behind their home in his memory, just a few yards away from the path to the rope swing.
Having lived in the are for a year, Larimore noted, "This is a place that loves enduring, powerful symbols." He said that for many people, the rope swing has taken on a symbolic dimension, and this may be why so its removal is creating such an uproar.
For all its symbolism, "We must look at the real human impacts," Larimore argued.
Former Assembly Vice President Margaret Kuecker '01 had a different take on the issue.
"Dartmouth students have felt that, especially in the last two years, decisions are being made by administrators that will affect us." She cited the lack of consultation with the students before important issues are decided as a large source of frustration for the campus.
Lauren Grabowski '02 spoke in defense of the rope swing.
"For so many people, it means so many things. I don't know if [its removal] will stop all the problems. It seems like an easy solution, a lazy solution," she said.
Despite such arguments, Griffin remained firm that the rope swing would be coming down as soon as it was possible to have a public works crew out to the river.
The meeting also discussed other problems between town and gown relations and possible solutions.
Dean of Student Life Holly Sateia expressed the need for a new mechanism with which students can raise their concerns about town life, as well as discuss the things that are going well. Such a body would help students be made aware of issues sooner and feel more like town residents.
In the past, students have complained about some of the residential ordinances when they tried to rent houses or apartments. In certain areas of the town, no more than three unrelated persons are allowed to live together.
Griffin explained this ordinance was enacted to stop parking problems that resulted when many unrelated people lived together. Often each individual had a car, and thus regulating against this would keep the stress level within the neighborhood at a minimum.
Residents said that sometimes the houses rented by students have loud parties in the middle of the night, or their guests block the street with all their cars.
The College is considering the creation of a pamphlet to be distributed every year at orientation for the incoming students to be informed about life as a resident of Hanover, in addition to life as a resident at Dartmouth.
