Temperatures in Hanover may have sunk well below freezing last night, but the atmosphere at yesterday's Student Assembly meeting was anything but chilled, with a spirited discussion of the Assembly's response to the new College alcohol policy and reports from swim team captains and recently-hired Associate Dean of Pluralism and Leadership Tommy Lee Woon.
The Student Life Committee addressed student Blitzmail responses to an Assembly survey on the College's revised alcohol policy. The survey prompted a particularly strong rejoinder from members of large organizations -- both Greek and otherwise -- who objected to a change that lowered the maximum number of students who are allowed to gather without prior registration of the event as a party. Some students expressed concern, committee members said, that organizations with more than 40 members may now be unable to meet frequently or on short notice.
The committee is continuing to compile student input, which Assembly executives plan to relay in an upcoming meeting with Dean of the College James Larimore.
"We're still collecting feedback from students," said Amit Anand '03, "and we're all going to try to come to a resolution that everyone can be happy about."
Representatives from the swimming and diving teams were on hand to formally thank the Assembly for their role in reinstating the teams. Women's team co-captain Mia Yocco '03 gave t-shirts to Assembly members who labored exceptionally hard on the teams' behalf.
Woon also spoke to the Assembly about the role of his office in College life and his objectives for the future.
"Pluralism is simply an answer to a basic question: what do people who are different do when they encounter each other?" Woon said. "The melting pot is a nice ideal, but it doesn't really happen."
Woon outlined plans for a large website, currently being built with cooperation from the Assembly, which would promote education on diversity-related matters. The proposed website would not simply be informative, he said; it would also provide a forum for the discussion of biases and a source of support for community members hurt by discrimination.
Woon expressed hope that he could work effectively even with conservative groups on campus, citing his previous position at Stanford University, where he was named 'Man of the Year' by the Stanford Review, a traditionally right-leaning publication.
"Most multicultural people don't get that kind of recognition," he said.
Assembly members also announced the reopening of Tom Dent Cabin to the Dartmouth community.
"It's a nice space furnished with all kinds of really neat things," said Todd Golden '06.
The cabin is located between Tuck Drive and the Connecticut River, near the Ledyard Canoe Club. It is available to students free of charge, and reservations for its use can be made on the Student Assembly's website. The cabin -- which opened in the Fall term of 2001 -- was the College's first fully student-run social space. It closed in October after a small fire and a number of noise complaints from nearby community members.
The Student Services Committee informed the Assembly of plans to place staplers at all Greenprint terminals. "We're going to super-glue them to the table," David Wolkoff '05 said.
