Being something of a cynic when it comes to human nature, I am utterly astonished that Dartmouth's trusting policies are not repeatedly and systematically abused. It says something splendid about the character and spirit of this institution that incidents such as the Usman case are both rare and shocking. Rather than diminish my faith, I say give a rouse for the great integrity of our classmates.
--Raza Rasheed '12
The incident involving Mohammad Usman cannot be blamed on a lack of oversight. No one could have possibly foreseen this happening, especially in a trusting community like Dartmouth. That said, the potential for a similar occurrence in these dire economic times should not be overlooked. The Tucker Foundation, along will other grant-giving organizations, should be more prudent, without being overbearing, when awarding funds to students.
--Ben Gonin '12
If we allow Usman's misconduct to shape the way we perceive our Dartmouth community, then we have never truly had one to begin with. Incidents like these are regrettable, but they should not be seen as excuses to deconstruct everything that we have achieved thus far. We must, as a community, condemn Usman's actions and take this opportunity to reflect on what our unique community means to us in our everyday lives.
--Chris Talamo '11
This particular case has not significantly affected my general feeling of trust at Dartmouth. I do feel, however, that the College and Tucker should take action to avoid the occurrence of future incidents. More should be done to verify the validity of students' claims.
--Blair Sullivan '10
Ultimately, the College caught Usman, so its systems of oversight can't be completely useless. I think the scandal will, however, make administrators more cautious, and I doubt we'll see something like this happen again.
--Jordan Osserman '11
This incident has not diminished my faith in College policies. All policies have their violators; all laws are broken. As long as these violations are reasonably rare and the College is constantly working to improve their policies and further reduce the transgressions, then I don't think there is any reason for concern.
--Peter Blair '12
No matter how stringent the oversight, there will always be a select few who try to cheat the system. Although a thorough oversight process is required, I hope that the system does not become overly cumbersome or distrustful as a result of one man's actions.
--Jacob Batchelor '12
It's a shame that Usman took advantage of the generosity of the school. By making a money play on Tucker's dime, he will have inevitably hurt honest students who, in the future, will suffer the scrutiny of a pained office. The encouragement of independent student efforts was jeopardized by one student's lack of foresight; thus, the trust between administrators and students has been irrevocably damaged, and one may hope that it will not prevent either from continuing their impressive legacies.
--Zachary Gottlieb '10
No matter what the College does to improve its oversight, there will still be ways to get around the system. The important thing here is not to tighten up the rules, but rather to realize that one such incident should not lead to any diminishing of the College's faith in its students.
--Tom Mandel '11
