Former Board of Trustees petition candidate Joe Asch '79 announced on Friday that he plans to devote his "time and energy to things other than Dartmouth College" in a post on the Dartblog website. Asch posted his statement, titled "The Last Post," less than a week after losing the trustee election to Alumni Council-nominated candidate John Replogle '88.
Asch, who could not be reached for comment, has been a frequent contributor to Dartblog since August and often challenged the College administration in his posts.
In an e-mail to The Dartmouth, Dartblog founder Joe Malchow '08 said he was not surprised by Asch's decision to focus on other pursuits.
"He just went through a viciously negative campaign," he wrote in the e-mail. "Who wants to live like that?"
Replogle said he considers Asch's announcement to pursue other ventures understandable given the recent trustee election.
"It was an energetic campaign and it took a lot of energy to undertake it," Replogle said. "I'm not surprised that he would like to take a break from it."
Trustee-elect Morton Kondracke '60, a Council-nominated candidate who ran uncontested for the other open trustee seat, said he was "surprised" by Asch's decision and "sad" that Asch will no longer post on the website.
"I think [Asch] raised a lot of interesting issues," Kondracke said. "Sometimes he went overboard and exaggerated, but other times he was right on."
Kondracke said he plans to send Asch an e-mail urging him to reconsider his decision and to remain active in College affairs.
"I was looking forward to having my trusteeship enriched by his input," Kondracke said. "I thought his interest in Dartmouth was abiding, and just because he didn't get elected trustee, I don't see why he would stop being interested in Dartmouth."
In his final post, Asch said he hopes Kondracke and Repogle will "spend a great deal of time in Hanover talking with students and members of the faculty."
Asch, who owns a home in Hanover, emphasized throughout the campaign that his proximity to campus made him a strong candidate.
Both trustees-elect said they plan to continue their ongoing dialogue with members of the Dartmouth community, as per Asch's advice. "I plan to spend as much time as possible in Hanover," Kondracke said.
Replogle said he has built a close relationship with "a large spectrum of faculty" and that he feels he has a "pretty good foundation" to work as a trustee.
Malchow praised Asch's contribution to the site over the past year and characterized his posts as forward-thinking.
"Joe's posts are controversial roughly nine months before they are conventional wisdom," he said in his e-mail.
Founded by Malchow in 2004, Dartblog has increased in popularity in recent years within the alumni community because of its coverage of and commentary on several controversial issues related to the College, The Dartmouth previously reported.
Replogle said he contacted Asch after the election to ask if the two could meet to discuss College policies, but Asch has not responded. While Asch's posts featured many well-founded views, they often contained a critical tone that "fatigued a number of people" within the College community, he added.
"The constructive, challenging elements are things we're going to have to figure out how to carry on as a community and within the Board of Trustees in the future," Replogle said.
Malchow informed Asch that he "is always welcome" to contribute to the website in the future, Malchow said. Malchow is currently deciding whom he will invite to replace Asch, though he said he is confident that he will find a competent alternative.
"I'm certain the mantle will be taken up," he wrote in his e-mail.
