To The Editor:
I write in support of Dean Furstenberg. His remarks -- now four years old -- represent his personal beliefs about the mission of an excellent liberal arts college. His efforts to create an incoming class that represents high integrity, academic ability, intellectual curiosity, leadership and, yes, athletic ability and achievement, have been impressive. The fact that our football players graduate at a rate consistent with the rest of the College is proof that he is doing his job. What are the rates at the other Ivies?
I was in the first class of women at Dartmouth. Those were dark days for women (and some of the men) on campus. A hard-partying, exclusionary, homogeneous student body that at least appeared to be anti-intellectual made it a lonely place for me. I have watched this happily change over the past twenty-five years.
I am disappointed that fraternities remain the central organizing force on campus, but gratified to see the diverse, talented students and graduates now making the world a better place. I read the alumni magazine and The D and I have great hopes that Dartmouth is slowly becoming the college I always knew it could be. The current controversy makes me worry that we could easily revert to the Dartmouth of the '70s.
I ask President Wright to please support his Dean of Admissions, and continue to strive for a better Dartmouth.
