In order to educate members of the Class of 2004, a Student Life Initiative information session was held the other night in Collis Common Ground. Several deans, along with various students involved with the SLI over the past year or so spoke to a small crowd of freshman. The event was designed to explain to students what the SLI is, its origins and how it will impact our Dartmouth experience and the experience of future generations of Dartmouth students. I would have to say that the event was a failure. Not to sound harsh, but speaker after speaker essentially reiterated the same vague proposals. And while the promise of newer, nicer dorms was definitely appreciated, the vast majority of what was discussed was incredibly ambiguous and seemingly lacked any sort of direction, other than the formation of an inordinate amount of committees.
The administrators and students tried to explain this vagueness as a result of the Trustees laying down general principles and leaving it to the students and community to determine how to enact these goals. I left the presentation convinced that not only did students not fully understand the SLI, but our administration's comprehension of it was not much better. There were countless buzzwords being bounced around the room, but little concrete information on what was going to occur. I suppose the eternal optimist would claim that this was because it was up to my class, the '04s, to take these principles and shape the future of Dartmouth. I strive to be an upbeat person, but I am not quite that nave. I find it hard to disagree with the principles in principle (no pun intended). Of course I want more social options, more diversity and interaction, and speaking as a resident of the architectural gem known as the Choates, I want to see 500-plus square feet per person of dorm space.
It think it is wise to build new dorms and sponsor programs through the Hop and organizations like Bigger, Better and Later that provide expanded social options. Yet, I do not think the college should adapt the "Field of Dreams" mentality of "if you build it, they will come." Just because dorms have more common areas, people are not necessarily going to redefine their social lives. The college spent a good deal of money on creating the Poison Ivy dance club, and after going by on several occasions last term, I noticed it was not exactly packed. The College must realize that it can build and provide options, but they cannot socially engineer the students of this school.
It worries me that much money is going to be spent, and many hours wasted in committee after committee on efforts that seem to lack direction and purpose. As someone with an avid interest in government, I understand the importance of committee work, but there needs to be a greater sense among students and administration alike of our goals. Dartmouth seems to be going through an identity crisis. It is a small college, but at the same time wants to be recognized as a large university. These conflicts are especially apparent within the academic realm of the school, but I believe they manifest themselves in the SLI as well. The desire to establish all-freshman housing and explore the possibility of staying in the same dorm/residential cluster for four years is indicative not of a tight-knit College community, but instead indicative of a large-school mentality where there is a need for compartmentalization of social life. Such an approach to residential and social life runs contrary to the spirit and nature of this school. There is no need for a structured "college"-like system, and upperclassmen serve as some of the best advisors to us often lost and confused freshmen.
I think the social life of this school does need some serious improvements and we most certainly need some new dorms, preferably designed in this decade by people with some taste. After listening to an hour-and-a-half presentation, in addition to following this story since I first became interested in coming here, I discovered that the SLI is full of ideals which are agreeable to most, but provides few solutions. The other night the room contained curious freshman eager to know where their school was going, yet no one in the room seemed capable of answering the question. Ever since I stepped foot on campus my classmates and I have been told we will shape the future of Dartmouth. I would embrace the opportunity, but there seems to be no clear path for us to follow. Before we graduate we will see new dorms erected and new social options emerge, but students will only embrace the change if it allows them to learn and interact on their terms. This will only occur if students and administrators alike gain a better understanding of what the SLI is and how it will impact our lives.
