Dartmouth students are well-educated about issues facing this campus, namely those of alcohol abuse and sexual assault. We've held forums and talked about these and other issues, but I fear that we are fast approaching an oversaturation of discussion. There need to be concrete changes to the structure of this college to eradicate systemic problems, because contrary to popular belief, one cannot rid the world of sexism, homophobia, racism and classism simply by talking about them. As student body president, I would push the administration to equalize social spaces on this campus, to abandon its absurd ban on new local sororities and to advocate for the development of as many new physical plants for sororities as possible. In addition, I would actively fight for increased gender-neutral housing and bathrooms on campus and to streamline the development of the long-awaited LGBT affinity house. Also, I would seek to immediately overturn the decision to have undergraduate advisors nark on their freshmen I couldn't think of a worse way to drive underage drinking underground if I tried. Issues like these illustrate a fundamental lack in understanding about contemporary social norms and are far too important to be lost in the administrative shuffle (read: boring economic discussions).
The biggest problem facing Student Assembly is the lack of power it has to sway administrative decisions. Until we start making it clear that we will not go without a fight, the administration will continue to ignore the student voice. I can assure the student body that, if elected, I would make it known that we are pissed off. I would take to the editorial pages of The Dartmouth, I would email individual trustees I would stand naked outside Parkhurst Hall if it meant someone finally listened. And believe me when I say that nobody wants to see me stand naked outside of Parkhurst.
When deciding who to vote for, I implore you to look within and think about the role of the Student Assembly president. It is impossible to entirely reinvent Dartmouth in a year. It is possible, however, to change the discourse surrounding student-administration communication and to advocate for the implementation of physical changes that could eventually lead to a change in the Dartmouth culture. Thank you for reading all of this. You can now go back to eating your Hop sandwich or stalking your ex on Facebook.
