I reacted to Roger Lott's recent article ("Education on Credit," April 18) with mixed emotions. It inspired in me, and many others, a need to publicly articulate the philosophical underpinnings of Dartmouth's policies and affirm the ideals to which we ascribe.
As Dartmouth students, we are tasked with carrying traditions of loyalty and support into a world starkly different from that wherein they were born. That duty is both an honor and a challenge. As we reinterpret and redefine our school, we struggle to reconcile competing visions of progress. In this necessary struggle, we risk losing sight of our core principles.
Our evolving Dartmouth has drawn values of inclusivity ever closer to its center. Our current student population is a testament to the efforts of a multitude of alumni, advocates and administrators, the moral and ethical fabric to which this institution holds, and our continued resolve to defend and celebrate the policies and practices that create space for us all. That half of our student population is female, that over one-third identify as students of color and that we are increasingly welcoming to students from across the sexuality spectrum, speaks to the positive strides we have made and will continue to make. In addition to issues of race, gender and sexuality, inclusivity requires us to address issues of class.
That Dartmouth continues to offer need-blind and full-need admissions should not be a source of resentment. Indeed, it should be a source of pride. I would contend that for most, it already is. The beneficiaries of Dartmouth's policies naturally include the 50 percent of Dartmouth students that receive financial aid. It should be emphasized that the 50 percent of students who do not receive financial aid benefit as well. By learning from each other's experiences, we expand our worlds, test our assumptions and refine our views.
Moreover, by offering full-need aid, Dartmouth is able to attract the most accomplished and promising students, irrespective of their financial means. Simply put: Merit is valued over money. (Incidentally, if you are confused as to how Dartmouth can afford need-blind and full-need admissions and financial aid policies, please research the "Campaign for the Dartmouth Experience.")
Dartmouth's principle of inclusivity is reaffirmed every time students facing financial barriers are able to partake fully in our community. It is reinforced when we equip students from under-resourced backgrounds with the tools to succeed, when we implement structures of support for communities of color and when we continue to examine and tackle issues of gender and sexuality. Inclusivity demands that we identify the difficulties faced by Dartmouth students of every background and ensure that those difficulties can be met and overcome.
The consequences of constraining opportunity are grim. By scrubbing away the accomplishments of a past that has moved us towards equity, we violate our collective sense of fairness. We divide our student population into haves and have-nots and provide social mortar for social and economic hierarchies and draw boundaries visible and invisible between ourselves. We lay obstacles in the paths of our peers, harming their chances of success and detracting from their experiences at the College. We undermine our longstanding and greatest strength: unity.
Much of our campus discourse stands in direct contrast to an attitude of unity. In recent months, it has been inflected with political rhetoric, fantastic leaps of logic and thoughtless argumentation. It has been hurtful to many who already feel marginalized, provoked unproductive responses that further polarize our debates and alienated students from fellow students. Writing this, I readily admit that, as many times as most, I have let my tongue and pen do unwarranted damage. From this regret, I have gained a deeper sense of appreciation for the potential latent within constructive and considerate dialogue.
We cannot scurry away from tough conversations. Nor can we continue to negotiate Dartmouth's future in an atmosphere devoid of compassion and lacking in reason. Our ideas must emerge from a holistic understanding of one another and our actions must entwine with care and concern for our fellow students. We must demand more of ourselves and of each other, find an anchor in values sown into our history and embrace a future that reflects those principles.
