Though frequent changes in the weather might have had more impact on students' day-to-day lives, the conflict in Iraq and the College's continued budget woes were the real issues that dominated the campus Spring term.
The biggest event of the term began midway through Spring break when the United States and its allies launched an invasion of Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein's regime March 19.
Though the invasion encountered a few obstacles, including Turkey's refusal to allow use of its airspace or territory for military purposes, it proceeded quickly with minimal casualties for coalition forces.
Student protest against the war was not quelled by the start of hostilities. One group, Why War?, continued its efforts from Winter term, sponsoring several events, including a teach-in. The organization also backed an anti-war resolution at the Hanover town meeting in May.
Many Dartmouth students, though, supported the war or saw it as inevitable. Other students said they planned to join the armed forces upon graduation. Elizabeth Hunt '05, a cadet in the Dartmouth ROTC program, said that while she and her fellow cadets do not want war, "one still has to expect war and be prepared to fight."
The recent upturns in the stock market -- fueled, some say, by the quick victory in Iraq -- have done little to erase the College's budget problems.
Having lost its funding, the human biology department shut its doors at the end of Spring term. The $61,000 saved by the elimination of the program comprised just one of many efforts by the College to cut its budget in the face of financial shortfalls resulting from the weak stock market and a sluggish economy.
Budget woes also led Dartmouth Dining Services to discontinue the Big Green Bean entertainment area in Collis, though the College and the Student Assembly assured students that no jobs would be cut.
Incumbent Student Body President Janos Marton '04 won a landslide victory over challenger Brett Theisen '05, garnering 74 percent of the vote. Noah Riner '06 edged out early leader David Wolkoff '05 for the vice presidency in an election that saw 22 percent less turnout than the 2002 vote.
Seeking to end decades of controversy surrounding the Indian mascot, the Assembly conducted a survey to gauge student opinion on proposed replacements. The leading candidate in the survey was the moose, with 28 percent of votes cast, followed by the Indian's 19 percent -- though the Indian, like the "Big Green," is ineligible to win in the SA poll. Ultimately, Assembly leaders hope to present visualizations of a new mascot to the Trustees, the only body able to declare an official mascot.
Coinciding with the poll, the Assembly began a trial run of a memorabilia exchange program that allows students and alumni to replace Indian-branded clothing with newer Dartmouth apparel.
The Assembly also sought to add a young member to the Board of Trustees so that the body might more accurately reflect the opinions of current students. Chair of the Student Life Committee Amit Anand '03 said both College President James Wright and Dean of the College James Larimore expressed openness to the idea.
Despite worldwide fears of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome that even led to travel bans on major cities, Dartmouth pledged not to impose quarantines on students traveling from infected areas because of racial profiling concerns. Even so, College health officials remained wary, sending mass emails to students warning of the effects of SARS and how to detect the symptoms.
SARS worries did lead the Off-Campus Programs office to cancel the Foreign Study Program in Beijing this summer. Other universities, including Yale, also cancelled programs in the region.
Another off-campus program suffered a tragedy when a student was critically injured on a weekend trip. Tricia Shalka '05 was hospitalized in Montpellier, France in early May after suffering severe burns in a hotel fire in the city of Neimes. Shalka, a participant in the French Language Study Abroad program in Lyon, was traveling with a friend when the fire broke out. Initial reports did not reveal the cause of the fire, though the hotel reportedly did not have sufficient fire exits.
Back at home in Hanover a number of controversial local and national issues came to a head.
Early campaigning for the 2004 presidential election began in earnest at Dartmouth as Democratic contender Howard Dean visited campus and lambasted the Bush administration in a speech at the Top of the Hop. He and several other Democrats are vying for their party's nomination, which is likely to be heavily influenced by New Hampshire's primary election next February.
The College's plans to transform the north end of campus with the construction of a new residence hall cluster and other facilities gained momentum as Hanover residents voted down by a two-to-one margin new zoning amendments that would have crippled the project. The annual town meeting also saw proposals to improve the quality of life in town, including plans to improve the water supply.
Debate over affirmative action heated up again as the Supreme Court heard arguments in April about the University of Michigan's use of race in its admissions. The case sparked numerous panels on campus and even prompted the College to weigh in favor of Michigan's practices.
The campus rallied around the men's lacrosse team during a spectacular season that saw the team's first trip to the NCAA tournament. The men's laxers were eliminated after losing a close game to the Syracuse Orangemen.
Greek houses enjoyed one of their strongest second-term rush periods in years, reinforcing the high rush numbers from the second-ever Winter rush term. Sixty women joined sororities and fraternities gained 71 new members. Greek leaders are still seeking to return primary rush to Fall term, when it was held until changed under the Student Life Initiative for the 2001-2002 academic year.
Phi Delta Alpha fraternity proceeded towards re-recognition after its temporary suspension in Spring 2000. The organization -- still a colony until it completes its trial period and gains College recognition -- added seven new members during Spring rush, and sought permission to house its members in its facility at 5 Webster Ave.
In perhaps the most unexpected news item of the spring, years of erosion finally took their toll on the Old Man on the Mountain, the rock formation in Franconia, N.H. that has served as the state's symbol since the 1800s. The face of the natural sculpture collapsed on May 2.
