To the Editor:
I am the parent of a Dartmouth student. I have been impressed by the school's intellectual environment and the diversity of the student body. So, as the summer was drawing to a close and I checked the calendar, I was stunned to see that the move-in day for upperclassmen was on Sept. 14, which is the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.
At first I thought this must be a mistake. Most calendars mark this holiday (and the previous evening) because it is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people. Then when I found out after further inquiry that the administration did in fact know about the holiday, I became angry and disappointed.
I find it incredulous that a school like Dartmouth would be so culturally insensitive. I realize that the Dartmouth calendar is rife with challenges, however, I find it hard to believe that the administration could be so callous to schedule the move-in on the single most important holiday for the Jewish people.
I hope that in the future, if the administration sees a conflict like this on the calendar, they will give it more consideration. It is grossly unfair to force a student and his or her family to make an uncomfortable choice that goes against their values.
Sharyn FrankStamford, Conn.
