Over the past week, former student body president candidate David Zubricki '07 and I have been engaging in a private conversation regarding his recent op-ed ("Trusted Leadership," April 25). In that article, Zubricki poked holes in the Student Assembly's decision to allot $3,500 for the production of a video to raise awareness about the post-Katrina Mississippi Gulf Coast. He advocated giving the money to the Red Cross and lambasted the project by declaring "FYI: the video has never been made and your money is gone."
Five weeks after the return of Dartmouth's second College-sponsored trip to the Gulf Coast, I am happy to report that, contrary to Zubricki's uninformed reportage, the video is finished. Moreover, the documentary was completed without the use of the Student Assembly's generous $3,500 allotment, which has been returned to the Student Assembly for future Dartmouth-sponsored trips.
In private correspondence, Zubricki wrote to me, "I think that money is needed most by the families who lost everything in Katrina, not by wealthy Dartmouth students who want something noble to do for their spring break but who don't want to have to pay for their food while doing it." While I agree with the first part of his statement, the logic in the second half is fundamentally flawed. By partially subsidizing the trip (students on both trips were required to pay only $150), Dartmouth has been able to provide all participants, regardless of economic background, with an opportunity that many say has changed their lives. It is the College's stated duty to train students to be conscientious citizens once they leave Hanover. Providing 70 students with unorthodox, eye-opening experiences fulfills that goal in several ways.
In developing a preliminary cost-benefit analysis in October, the Emergency Response Committee acknowledged that sending a trip to the Gulf Coast would require a substantial sum of money, and that the College's decision to provide funds for such a project should not be taken lightly. The President's Office decided to fund the first two trips after concluding that money spent by the College should be money used to advance students' academic interests and objectives. Donating funds directly to the Red Cross, while a pleasant token gesture, would accomplish little for the Dartmouth community. Offering scores of students the opportunity to approach community development, race relations, American history, and pedagogy from a hands-on non-traditional perspective was a more favorable alternative.
After speaking with dozens of participants from both trips, I gleaned that most people felt emotionally charged, inspired or even distraught about their time along the Gulf Coast. Many acknowledge that no matter how hard they worked, both trips were capable of only chipping away at the monumental task at hand. However, many also said that it was not the work itself that made the trip worthwhile. The lessons, values and new goals imparted to Dartmouth students on their trips made for an empowering educational experience.
Which brings us back to my original point. The documentary video, "The Invisible Coast: Mississippi's Continuing Struggle in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina," is finished. The documentary's point is to demonstrate how little of Mississippi's story has been told in the rest of the country and to raise awareness about how much still needs to be done.
Zubricki wrote to me, "Whatever happened to just getting down in the dirt, lending a helping hand, and never expecting to be acknowledged or thanked?" The documentary does showcase Dartmouth students. However, the point is not to solicit commendations, but to get more people involved by showing just how easy it is to get involved.
The College is currently discussing a plan to bring hundreds of additional students down to the Gulf Coast. The need for volunteers and donations is as great now as it was eight months ago. Student Assembly can do its part by promoting the works and passions of its students instead of deriding them.
