Re: Dartmouth only Ivy to abstain from signing letter against Trump administration funding cuts
I am writing to express my deep disappointment in Dartmouth’s silence regarding the current administration’s assault on academic freedom. That Dartmouth stands alone among the Ivies in failing to speak out is not just angering — it is deeply shameful. If we cannot stand alongside Harvard, Yale and Princeton in defense of core values, who are our peers? Even my undergraduate institution, the University of Oregon — with a fraction of Dartmouth’s endowment — has joined the public outcry.
College President Sian Leah Beilock’s assertion that “open letters are not an effective way to defend Dartmouth’s mission and values” may hold in normal times. These are not normal times. Remaining silent sends a dangerous message: that Dartmouth is unwilling to defend itself, unwilling to organize and unwilling to fight for its principles. If we do not stand together, we stand alone.
I was able to attend college and Tuck thanks to Pell Grants, need-based scholarships and federal loans. Without those opportunities, Tuck would have been unattainable for me. Watching President Donald Trump erect barriers against students from nontraditional backgrounds is chilling. Watching Dartmouth fail to defend them is worse.
Though my donations to Tuck have been modest in comparison to some, they have been meaningful, because I deeply believe in the mission of developing wise, decisive leaders who better the world through business. Going forward, I intend to redirect my support to organizations that stand unequivocally for students, for academic freedom and for democracy itself.
Sincerely,
Lindsey Wilcox T’19
Letters to the Editor represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.
