To the Editor:
I could not agree more that the cost and rhetoric of Trustee elections have moved into a sphere that is regrettable ("Verbum Ultimum: Poisonous Politicking," March 2).
Having watched this trend develop over more than 18 years, I would just wish to point out that until this election no sitting trustee ever spoke out in favor of a candidate ("Smith '88 endorses Asch '79," March 2). Although there may be no formal rules to date within the Board, it used to be understood that the Board spoke publicly only with one voice. Sadly, newer members of the Board have broken that tradition.
I also wish to point out that the Hanover Institute has been practicing the art of sniping at the College for many years, using alumni lists and raising money that might have directly benefitted students. Dartmouth Undying started only recently as a direct result of the misinformation and dogged determination of the Institute to force the College to spend valuable dollars to defend against a legal case, which has repeatedly been deemed to have no merit. Many alumni and other friends of the College had simply had enough and wished to speak for the less vocal majority.
Sadly, it appears the Trustees Stephen Smith '88, T.J. Rodgers '70 and Peter Robinson '79 as well as Joe Asch '79 care more for rancor than Dartmouth.
