To the Editor:
I could not agree more with Elise Waxenberg '08's opinion of what the College should do in response to Dartmouth Beta's return ("Reparations and Recognition," Jan. 14). And considering that planned institutional changes are likely to be frustratingly slow, I too would not send my daughters to Dartmouth.
But I also would not send my sons. I would not expose them to a system that is unable to durably punish unacceptable behavior when faced with the prospect of monetary loss. I would not hold them hostage to the wealthy alums who still have access to control of the social dynamic on this campus. I would not look to my own College to model for them a positive gender dynamic, because, frankly, the notion that Dartmouth is unable to fix this long-standing problem has been confirmed in my mind. It pains me to say it, but the great faith I used to have in the College to overcome its history on this issue is rapidly fading.
An unbalanced gender dynamic in any setting, Dartmouth or otherwise, has just as much (if not more) of an effect on men as it does on women. I hope that Dartmouth will articulate a concrete and long-term plan to use its finances to equalize gender relations on this campus. That would restore some of my faith in this College. But if things don't change soon, the biggest "reparation" that Dartmouth will have to pay is losing future generations of students.
