Modesty is a virtue. While nearly everyone is familiar with this platitude, Jonathan Eisenman '03 believes that it has been forgotten by some members of the Dartmouth community. Thus, he recently began to circulate a petition to protest the relatively new campus organization BuzzFlood, formerly known as BlabberForce.
BuzzFlood's founders began work late in the spring with the objective of increasing awareness of Dartmouth both within the College community and beyond. In the months since, the group has gained considerable attention from students and a number of prominent administrators.
Currently, the project takes the form of a BlitzMail newsletter called "Buzzline," which chronicles the achievements of Dartmouth students and alumni. BuzzFlood President Jim Baehr '05 said they eventually plan on trying to syndicate some of these stories in larger media outlets.
Since the organization's conception, there have been rumblings of opposition on campus among those who feel it is unnecessary to attempt to increase Dartmouth's "brand name" to the point where it is as commonly recognized as Harvard or Yale. This issue, and the fact that he thinks that Buzzflood is "pretty much a ridiculous idea," prompted Eisenman to begin the petition "on a whim" about two weeks ago by posting a draft of his ideas on several Dartmouth related webblogs, including Free Dartmouth and the Dartmouth Observer.
Eisenman's opposition primarily stems from his belief that BuzzFlood's objectives are inherently conceited and will consequently cheapen the College's public image.
"I just don't think that it's right," Eisenman said. "Being an elitist at an elite institution and then being public about it is a faux pas ... there is something very revolting about the practice of bragging about an institution. Instead, Eisenman encourages students to follow President Theodore Roosevelt's famous words, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." He believes that BuzzFlood is violating the first part of the maxim.
On the other hand, Baehr feels that such publicity is necessary, "because a surprising amount of people don't know about Dartmouth ... everyone should have the chance to find out about such a special place." In direct contrast to Eisenman, he claims, "it's arrogant to consider yourself so great that you're too good to tell people who you are."
Eisenman refused to discuss exact numbers, saying only that a "considerable number" of people have signed the petition, although he is "not as close as he should be" to his goal of 100 signatures. If and when he reaches that goal, Eisenman plans to draft a final copy of the petition in order to submit it to various College publications and possibly to the administration. As of yet Eisenman said he has not had any direct conversations with BuzzFlood leadership, but he has been debating anonymous BuzzFlood members via internet message boards.
Baehr does not seem particularly concerned. "It's clear this is a topic that's generated great interest and great passion, and we're excited to be part of this invigorating discussion."
