Winter Carnival weekend provides many opportunities to celebrate the spirit that makes Dartmouth such a special place. From the dedication of the snow sculpture to the polar bear plunge, from parties hosted by various campus organizations to the chance to cheer on our ski teams and other athletic teams, Winter Carnival weekend offers something for everybody to enjoy.
Organizing and hosting social events is a major responsibility. I hope that you will work in partnership with the organizations that have worked so hard to provide an array of social options this weekend by using good judgment and by looking out for one another. Caring for others in the Dartmouth community is, after all, one of the College's strongest and most enduring traditions.
An ethic of care allows us to reach out to one another. Conversations with students and recent articles in The Dartmouth led me to reach out to Greek leaders to discuss their concerns. I would like to publicly thank the Greek Leadership Council executive committee (which includes the heads of the Inter-Fraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, Coed Council and the councils of the historically minority Greek organizations) for providing me with time at one of their recent meetings so that we could open a dialogue about the concerns of students in the campus Greek community. Harry Kinne, the director of Safety and Security, and Marty Redman, the dean of Residential Life, participated in the meeting as well.
We agreed to continue meeting on a regular basis to advance our discussions and seek ways to address student concerns. The conversation was constructive and optimistic. Everyone involved in the discussion was forthcoming and honest, and I hope it will serve as a good step forward in building a more open and trusting relationship. The students also expressed their desire to see this relationship develop, and over the past week we have had several follow-up conversations about ways to build on this good beginning.
As I mentioned to students at the GLC meeting, I believe that we have a shared and mutual interest in the success of Greek organizations at Dartmouth. In the past few years the College has worked with Greek leaders and alumni advisors to address the problem of rapidly- increasing insurance rates, and we recently created a facilities loan program that will help the houses make physical plant improvements in the years to come. Greek leaders recently submitted a proposal to change the timing of rush, and I look forward to working with them to discuss their ideas and possible changes.
I also believe that Greek organizations deserve credit and support for the changes they have made in recent years. Responsibility, trust, fairness and honesty are the building blocks that support the working relationship between Greek organizations and the College.It is important to recognize that, individually and collectively, Dartmouth's Greek organizations are making progress toward their organizational goals. Each term has been marked by important achievements and contributions to the greater campus community. I believe that the progress will continue, and I look forward to working with the leadership of our Greek organizations to support their continued success.
