To Alex Felix '08 and James Bleuer '08 and other members of the Phrygian Society who share their views, I would ask a simple question: Does this comic represent the "way of life" that you are fighting so actively to preserve from the "heavy hand of the administration"? From The Dartmouth article describing the Phrygian Society ("Secret society pushes anti-administration agenda," Mar. 7, 2007), you define yourselves as a group of fraternity presidents, varsity captains and editors (and even a trustee) who are "troubled by [the College's] direction" and who have taken upon yourselves the task of "personally passing down the Dartmouth traditions through the years." From your self-description, I imagine that you see yourselves as campus leaders struggling to save a College that you are so passionate about.
First of all, I'm glad that you and your peers share such a strong devotion to the College. In that we definitely have a common interest, but unfortunately, I believe that is where our commonalities end, because if this is the Dartmouth you are trying to save, it is clearly not the Dartmouth that I love. The Dartmouth I love would have no place for such blatant racism and sexism. The Dartmouth I love would never seek to reward campus leadership with public slander. The Dartmouth I love would never confuse free speech with a freedom to insult and degrade a fellow human being, let alone a fellow Dartmouth classmate.
On behalf of the Board of the Dartmouth Asian Pacific American Alumni Association, I offer my full support to the student depicted and to all students and alumni who have found their trust and passion for our beloved institution shaken by these recent actions. We would also remind you that, sadly, views like those of Alex Felix '08 and James Bleuer '08 are not isolated to Dartmouth alone, nor any college campus for that matter, but are, unfortunately, a tragic reality that must be faced in much broader social settings. As such, we ask that you remain strong in your beliefs and continue to create the Dartmouth that you love.
To all alumni, I would simply ask you to think back about the traditions that made Dartmouth so special to you. Sadly, this event is a clear reminder that there are indeed two distinct sets of traditions that are being rallied around in the recent alumni debates. There are the traditions that build trust and camaraderie among Dartmouth's past and future leaders and there are the traditions that seek to isolate Dartmouth from the world, creating a backwards and toxic environment for anyone but those who share these views. Clearly, there is only one set of traditions that best serves Dartmouth, and that is not the Dartmouth displayed in this comic.
