To the Editor:
In response to Yan Shurin's comment in The Dartmouth about the legitimacy of divestment, there seems to be some misunderstanding ("Disapproving of Divestment," Nov. 17). Because Dartmouth's stock-holdings are constantly changing, we are only allowed to see a snapshot of our current holdings once a term. As a result, we could be invested in the companies listed for divestment by the ACIR at any point. Although we have been using the term "divestment" on campus for ease of communication, the decision passed by the Board of Trustees will put a screen on the portfolio managers of the investment office to not buy any of the stocks listed in the decision.
So the decision actually is precluding investment in complicit companies, despite Shurin's confusion. Although the wording of trustee decisions is not public, those interested can find the actual press release from the college (which describes "avoidance," not divestment) at http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2005/11/14.html.
