To the Editor:
I am glad that College President James Wright has chosen to "correct the record" in the trustee race ("Wright pledges to 'correct the record' in trustee race," Mar. 2).
Dartmouth is clearly focused on undergraduate education, which I believe is stronger than ever. I find it disturbing that Stephen Smith '88, like his predecessors, continues to take Wright's statement that "Dartmouth is a university in all but name" out of the context in which he delivered it and wish that he would address the rest of his remarks. Smith ignores the fact that Dartmouth classes have in fact gotten smaller and that administrative positions have grown more slowly than the growth in the faculty.
Dartmouth clearly does not have a free speech problem, since it is one of only a handful of schools in the country that have a "Green Light" rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education for protection of freedom of speech.
Finally, athletics are thriving at Dartmouth, judging by the recent successes of the men's and women's hockey team and the ski team, and the Greek system is flourishing.
Unlike the other candidates, Smith is unable to demonstrate any volunteerism or support of the College and its mission since graduation, which he apparently blamed on his family obligations at a recent meeting with Dartmouth students. He clearly means well and is a person of genuine accomplishments. However, this does not relieve him of an obligation to carefully address all the facts in context when advancing his candidacy.
