In 18 days, the people of New Hampshire will once again determine the Democratic presidential nominee for the rest of the nation. In over 80 years of hosting the first-in-the-nation primary, only two candidates have lost in the Granite State and gone on to win the presidency. Though the Republican nomination is virtually uncontested, the race to challenge President Bush is a heated one, and the Democrat who wins here Jan. 27 will likely face Bush in November.
Dartmouth students should vote in this election, and they should do so in New Hampshire.
The reasons for voting in New Hampshire go beyond the simple truth that a vote will undoubtedly carry more weight if cast in this state. Dartmouth students spend nine months of the year in Hanover, they are affected by its laws and they have every legal right to vote where they reside. Perhaps most importantly, Dartmouth's ideological diversity adds to the debate in a homogenous state that by no means represents the nation as a whole.
Though there are some perfectly good reasons to stay registered in one's home state -- scholarships that require residency in a given place, for example -- a change of registration usually has little or no impact on anything else in one's life.
It is important to keep in mind, however, that fulfilling one's civic obligation to vote takes more than simply casting a ballot in the presidential race every four years. Taking advantage of New Hampshire's early primary also requires taking the time to vote in state and town elections while here.
Take the time now and register at Town Hall before Jan. 20. It saves time waiting in line the day of the primary and makes being challenged less likely. All that's needed is official identification and proof of residency.
This is your right. And it is your duty.
With the completion of his first five-year report, President James Wright brings to a symbolic close a period marked by a great deal of change in all areas of the College. The report is quick to point out Wright's many accomplishments as president: a 16 percent increase in applications, a $78 million growth in federal grants and contracts, widespread facilities expansion and renovation and a rise in student financial aid. However, the issues that have marked his tenure more than any other -- the Student Life Initiative controversy and the swim team budget cut gaffe -- are given short shrift.
Indeed, if there is a theme to Wright's administration, it is an inability to involve students and alumni in the decision-making process and a tendency to prescribe social change in a self-assured manner that only ends up perpetuating the problem. A school can't go from "Animal House" to "P.C.U." in five years, and perhaps it ought not to try. If Wright were to consult with students and alumni, he might gain a new perspective on the issue.
As Wright looks ahead to his next five years as president, he should spend time rethinking his approach to engineering change without consultation with his most important constituency: those whose school this is.
