For the Student Assembly, the Spring term has been marked by the beginning of a number of substantial undergraduate initiatives and a few setbacks.
An ambitious, Assembly-led initiative to develop a new Dartmouth mascot commenced this term, and has made tangible progress according to Student Body President Janos Marton '04. The group has garnered the approval of the College's athletic department and alumni council. Leaders most recently began a campaign to solicit mascot proposals from students, administrators and College graduates.
"We got almost 1,000 responses about a mascot and we're compiling suggestions now," Marton said.
The Assembly's newspaper pilot program has been one of its most resounding successes this term, Marton said. Program leaders organized the placement of free copies of four national newspapers in heavily-trafficked areas around campus.
Assembly members said they hope to keep up gratis newspaper distribution in the coming terms with both College and Assembly funds.
The Assembly was not able to alter the College's split Spring reading period, a goal that had been proposed in meetings earlier this term.
The Spring term reading period -- the pre-exam span of time set aside for student study -- will be held next Monday and Thursday, separated by two days of classes.
The stretch is almost always split up by a few days of classes to take advantage of the Memorial Day holiday, but the divide has traditionally drawn the ire of College undergraduates.
Marton said the reading period had proven "very complicated" to change this year.
"The academic calendar is set very far in advance," Marton said.
Assembly members expressed hope that the division in reading days could be eventually be eliminated, however, conceivably by the spring of 2005.
Assembly members made limited progress in their efforts to elect or place a younger alumni on the College's Board of Trustees.
Members also met with both the incoming and outgoing presidents of the Board, and hope to present a proposal within the next six months, according to Marton.
The efficacy of an alcohol policy working group affiliated with the Assembly has been another notable achievement of the term. The group, formed over Winter term, generated four suggested modifications to the College's alcohol policy, which was revised at the beginning of 2003.
All four of the group's recommendations were implemented by the Dean of the College about a month ago.
Marton said the group will present a few additional proposals before disbanding at the end of this term.
"Just this afternoon, [the alcohol policy group] finished our report that will cover spontaneous registration and members-only events," Marton said.
Next year's Assembly will also be led by Marton. Noah Riner '06 was elected Vice President of the Assembly three weeks ago.
Marton called his own re-election to the Assembly's highest office "very exciting." He noted that another year will enable him to continue to pursue long-term Assembly goals.
"What usually hinders the student body president is that they try to get everything done in three hectic terms," Marton said.
