College admissions officers continue to focus on increasing the diversity of incoming classes, including Dartmouth's Class of 2008. This year, African-American students had the best chance of getting into Dartmouth, at a rate of 44.6 percent, and Native Americans and Latinos experienced similar acceptance rates of 34.6 and 29 percent, respectively. Whites, who make up over 60 percent of applicants, had an acceptance rate of 16.2 percent.
These disproportionate rates derive from Dartmouth's attempt to create a diverse community, which they believe will add to the education of all students. Yet, the real question is whether or not students take advantage of the varied groups of people that matriculate each year. An increasingly ubiquitous and touchy issue surfacing on campus is the self-segregation of students, a term used to define the inclination for groups to flock together, usually causing the exclusion of others. Students have learned that they can only increase their awareness of students of different backgrounds at their own discretion, even though the College has supported a wide variety of student organizations to achieve this goal.
One of the largest cultural organizations on campus is the Afro-American Society. This student-run organization brings lecturers, professors, entertainers and political figures to Dartmouth and hosts other activities to meet the needs of African-American students. Student participation is open to all students regardless of ethnicity, race or nationality.
AfriCaSo is the African and Caribbean Students' Organization at Dartmouth. Its main objective is to promote awareness of issues concerning Africa and the Caribbean and to create a base for cultural expression by its members, for themselves and for the benefit of the Dartmouth community.
Similarly, Native American students at Dartmouth strive to cultivate Native American cultural awareness and communication between its members, other organizations on campus and other colleges and universities. NAD hosts social and cultural events for all members of the College. The NAD students also organize and produce the Annual Dartmouth Pow Wow every Mother's Day Weekend, which develops bonds between the Native community, the Dartmouth community and the Upper Valley community each year.
An organization supporting and empowering Latino students, student-run La Alianza Latina also aims to present Latino culture and issues to the Dartmouth community. The organization brings guest speakers and host movie nights, panel discussions and community dinners among various other activities.
The Dartmouth Asian Organization aims to extend Asian and Asian-American culture to the Dartmouth community and provide social and intellectual interaction for Asian and Asian-American students. DAO also hosts an increasingly popular culture night each term.
The Dartmouth Chinese Culture Society is a student-run organization that hosts movie and mahjong nights, professor-led discussions and celebrations of the Chinese New Year. The Dartmouth Japan Society is a student-run organization at Dartmouth College that sponsors events to bring Japan a little closer to Hanover, such as Sushi Rolling Lessons and Dinner and a Movie Night. The Korean-American Student Association coordinates a Korean film festival, an Intramural Sports program, an annual Korean culture night and a Big Sibling/Little Sibling Program. In addition, the Vietnamese Student Association is a cultural organization that strives to promote Vietnamese culture.
Other Pan-Asian organizations include Shamis, a relatively new group on campus that promotes Arab culture and addresses Arab-American issues; Milan, an organization uniting students from the Indian subcontinent ; and Shanti, a student organization representing the Hindu faith at Dartmouth.
International students also run their own organizations on campus. The purpose of the International Students Association is to promote alternative cultural and political viewpoints on campus as well as to provide social activities and other services to the Dartmouth community. The association sponsors an assortment of activities, including dinners, lectures, films, cultural shows, receptions for foreign visitors, dances and intramural sports.
Overall, minority and international students at Dartmouth endure experiences that are unique and at times challenging. Fortunately, an array of international and cultural organizations exists on campus to bolster awareness of this uniqueness and to support these underrepresented populations. These various associations anticipate the Class of 2008, seeking to facilitate the transition into College life and to maintain cultural diversity throughout the year.
