As Washington, D.C. screeched to a halt as a result of the first government shutdown in 17 years, Dartmouth's everyday activities are continuing largely unaffected.
Possible impacted areas at the College include government-funded organizations and programs, though most, such as financial aid, will likely remain unaffected. A longer shutdown would increase the potential effects on grants and funding.
A lecture on global food security by State Department official Jonathan Shrier, originally scheduled for this afternoon, had to be delayed due the shutdown and is now set for Oct. 21. Because Shrier is an acting representative of the government, he cannot travel and give a lecture in an official capacity, Rockefeller Center events coordinator Joanne Needham said.
"The timing could not have been any worse," she said.
The earth sciences off-campus study program, known as the "Stretch," may also be facing difficulties. The program includes geotours of several national parks, all of which are now shut down. Yosemite National Park celebrated its 123rd anniversary with a closed park yesterday.
Program director Edward Meyer could not be reached for comment by press time.
Some students expressed concern about their federal loan status, but financial aid director Virginia Hazen confirmed that the government shutdown will have no impact on financial aid, as programs have already received funds for the year. If the shutdown lasts long enough to conflict with loan deadlines, this may negatively impact the program.
Margaret Funnell, director of the office of undergraduate advising and research, said that none of the research programs under her direction are funded by government agencies and will not be impacted by the shutdown.
Some organizations that apply for government funding have noted difficulties.
"There is some disruption in agency systems that we use to submit grant applications and perform other functions," said Jill Mortali, director of the office of sponsored projects."I am hoping that the issues in Congress will be resolved quickly."
Michael Barwell, media relations manager at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, stated that there are no immediate effects of the government shutdown and that there is "no point in speculating" at the moment. Government professor Ronald Shaiko said that the effects of the shutdown would not be significant in the short term, as a deal will likely be reached soon.
Students cited the "Dartmouth bubble" as contributing to the sense of disconnect they feel on campus regarding the shutdown.
"I think this is really felt a lot more outside of Hanover," Stylianos Tegas '17 said.
Some students interviewed were not aware that the government could shut down, though others did not think that there would be any notable fallout.
Cady Whicker '17 noted that Dartmouth's private, Ivy League status would likely insulate it from any major problems, though it may be a good topic for class discussion.
"We probably won't see some of the effects that state school systems might see, but it might affect our lives in a trickle-down sense," she said.
