To the Editor:
In "Orgs. fund Trustee, AoA campaigns" (March 31), Dartmouth Undying claims they were forced to spend large sums of money, and engage in election campaigning (often negative in style), in order to offset similar actions by the Hanover Institute. Arguably, however, the Institute's actions were needed to overcome the tremendously unfair advantage held by those working to elect Council-nominated candidates over petitioners. This advantage was implicit in support given by the administration itself, which allowed Councilors to use College e-mail lists for political purposes, on behalf of their candidates, while denying access to petitioners.
We are tired over governance debates and want elections without negative campaigning. We believe that all this money can be better spent. Let's depoliticize the Office of Alumni Relations and simultaneously the Alumni Council, by removing them from the respective roles of administering elections and nominating candidates. Let's place everything governance-related back under the direct control of the Association and its alumni-elected leaders. Let's provide the Association with modest financial independence so that it does not need the administration, or any outside group, for support. Let's have an independent Association administer elections itself, with a truly level playing field that allows uniform access for all to communicate with voters. While such actions will not eliminate outside interests and campaigning entirely, it will be a great step in reducing the power of such groups Undying, the Hanover Institute, the Council and especially the Office of Alumni Relations. If we do this, the winners will be Dartmouth alumni and ultimately Dartmouth College.
