Assistant Dean of Student Life Nora Yasumura exhorted students in her Diversity Peer Program to support embattled Student Body President Tim Andreadis '07 and the current Student Assembly this weekend. In an e-mail obtained by The Dartmouth, Yasumura, who coordinates the DPP, praised the Assembly's work this year and encouraged the members of DPP to act in support of the organization and its leader.
"[Andreadis] and the rest of [the Assembly] are clearly taking proactive and concrete steps to move forward on many important social issues and to address many unheard and ignored student issues and needs," Yasumura wrote in her e-mail. "I believe to stop now by abolishing [the Assembly] would be a huge setback for the Dartmouth community."
Yasumura also included instructions on how to become a voting member of the Assembly in her message.
In an interview, Yasumura said that the message was not intended for the entire student body.
"Part of my job is to address social issues and to remind people about the importance [of those issues]," Yasumura said. "This is not something that was meant to go to every student, but an isolated number of students who are interested in these particular issues."
Yasumura also enclosed with the e-mail an Assembly document that enumerated the group's Fall term accomplishments.
"I think it's an impressive list for only 10 weeks of work," Yasumura wrote. "It demonstrates not only the importance of having [the Assembly] as a whole but of [Andreadis's] leadership. Against what others have argued, I believe it is simply unrealistic and unfair to expect immediate changes on our campus."
In the e-mail, Yasumura personally compliments Andreadis, a DPP participant.
"Having known [Andreadis] personally for over three years, I have always found him to be a courageous, insightful, responsible, [socially] conscious person with the highest level of character and integrity," she wrote. "I not only have every faith in him personally but more importantly in his abilities as a leader."
Andreadis expressed gratitude for Yasumura's praise.
"I certainly appreciate the support both for myself and for Student Assembly and our accomplishments and our goals," he said.
Andreadis also noted that many of the issues that the Assembly has tried to address this year mirror those confronted by the DPP -- including the subjects of racism, homophobia and privilege.
In the e-mail, Yasumura enumerated ways to support the Assembly -- for example, by writing to Andreadis and other Assembly leaders to show appreciation. She also encouraged students to talk to other students within their "sphere of influence."
She said that her BlitzMail message was not intended to tell the recipients what to think about the current controversy surrounding the Assembly -- namely, the issue of impeaching Andreadis or dissolving the body.
"I don't see my role as telling students what they should do," she said, adding that her e-mail was "more about providing information, using my own opinion."
Adam Shpeen '07, however, said he thinks that Yasumura's message was inappropriate. He is a leader in the current movement to reform the Assembly, a process which he has previously said could involve Andreadis' impeachment.
"I don't think it's proper for deans to be interfering in the internal debates within Student Assembly." Shpeen said. "I wish the administration had been as responsive to the call for the Committee on Standards reform as they are to the debate surrounding [Andreadis'] possible removal from office."
Jack Groetzinger '07, who is also involved in the reform group, agreed.
"I'm troubled that a dean would actively sponsor certain students within Student Assembly," he said. "I think it's the responsibility of a dean to act as an impartial advisor and facilitator rather than an [advocate] of one student over others."
Groetzinger concluded that it would be unfair for a dean to come down on the side of one student over another in such a matter.
"I believe student government is best left to students," he said. "It seems inappropriate for deans to endorse certain students within [the Assembly] because such an endorsement implicitly condemns the endorsee's challengers."
Acting Dean of the College Dan Nelson was unavailable for comment on Monday.
