This article is featured in the 2025 Commencement & Reunions special issue.
As the Class of 2025 prepares to graduate, The Dartmouth looks back at the biggest news stories from their last year at the College.
The summer was marked by tragedy. On July 7, Won Jang ’26 was found dead in the Connecticut River after attending an event, hosted by Beta Alpha Omega fraternity and Alpha Phi sorority, with alcohol. A vigil for Jang was held on July 9. The College suspended both Beta and APhi. Two Dartmouth students were each charged with one misdemeanor for providing alcohol to persons under 21 years of age, while APhi’s charges were dropped. Jang’s death spurred discussions on the role of Greek life on campus.
Fall brought a flurry of election news.
In November, President Donald Trump won the presidential election, defeating former vice president Kamala Harris. Harris won New Hampshire’s four electoral votes by 51% of the vote. In a pre-election survey by The Dartmouth, 74% of students said they planned to vote for Harris.
In September, Dartmouth fired family giving coordinator Marc Jacques six months after he pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography.
In November, Bond Almand IV ’26 broke the “Pan-American” cycling world record, biking 14,000 miles from Alaska to Argentina in 76 days — breaking the previous record by eight days.
The Board of Trustees unanimously voted to create a new school of Arts and Sciences on Nov. 8. College President Sian Leah Beilock recommended the proposal to the Board after Arts and Sciences faculty passed an advisory vote 243-63 in support of the proposal, despite some concerns about faculty governance and the name of the school. The name of the school is not yet determined.
In January, a petition to bring Omar Rashid ’29, an incoming student from Gaza, to campus “as soon as possible” amassed more than 33,400 signatures. Rashid has been stuck in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Winter saw controversial changes to Dartmouth Dining, which sparked discussion on campus. At the start of winter term, Dartmouth Dining introduced a palm biometric recognition system for entering ’53 Commons. Novack Cafe was also reorganized, separating the cafe and refrigerated sections. Over the spring break, the Courtyard Cafe was renovated, with new touchscreen kiosks and a wall built between students and workers.
In February, the Class of 1989 raised $30 million to fund a new residential building on West Wheelock Street, adding 150-200 beds to campus. The contribution follows a $30 million donation from Thomas Russo ’77 and Gina Russo ’77 in September, which will fund Russo Hall, adding another 285 beds to campus.
In the spring, higher education was in the spotlight all over the country.
In March, former Republican National Committee chief counsel Matthew Raymer ’03 was appointed as the College’s next general counsel. Raymer’s appointment came as the Trump administration reworked federal education policy and appropriations. Raymer previously defended Trump’s push to redefine the scope of birthright citizenship in an op-ed.
In April, Beilock abstained from signing a letter condemning the Trump administration’s revocations of federal funding from universities, becoming the only Ivy League university president to do so. The letter, from the American Association of Colleges and Universities, was signed by over 530 university presidents. Beilock defended her decision to abstain, arguing that open form letters are “rarely effective tools to make change” and said she prefers “action-oriented coalitions.” Thousands of alumni signed petitions in support and in opposition to Beilock’s approach, and many sent letters to the editor to The Dartmouth.
In April, former men’s lacrosse player Kyle Clampitt ’20 was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison for raping a female student on the roof of Theta Delta Chi fraternity in 2022. Clampitt was found guilty of 12 counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault.
Also in April, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security abruptly revoked the F-1 immigration status of Ph.D. student Xiaotian Liu GR and another international student. The move came as the Trump administration started revoking the F-1 immigration status of international students across the country. The American Civil Liberties Union and Shaheen and Gordon filed a lawsuit against the DHS on behalf of Liu and the federal court of New Hampshire granted a preliminary injunction preventing the termination. A week later, the Office of Visa and Immigration Services held an information session for international students where they recommended international students carry their proof of immigration around campus. International students expressed fear and anxiety about freely expressing their opinions.
On the anniversary of last year’s May 1 protests, the Palestine Solidarity Coalition erected an encampment of two tents on the lawn of Parkhurst Hall. The protesters took one of the tents down after the College agreed to revise OVIS protocol to explicitly require judicial warrants for federal agents. The other tent remained for another day as protesters were notified of disciplinary proceedings, and was taken down after the College announced an immigration legal fund for international students as well as committing to a formal response to protesters’ divestment proposal by May 20. The Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility unanimously voted against advancing the divestment proposal.
The Student Workers Collective at Dartmouth began a strike on May 19 after rejecting the College’s final contract offer. The strike followed seven months of negotiations with the College for a new contract for Dartmouth Dining student workers and undergraduate advisors. SWCD ended the strike on June 2 and entered mediation with the College.
The College announced that Santiago Schnell will serve as the next provost, succeeding Provost David Kotz ’86.
The following week, the College launched the Davidson Institute for Global Security, a $34 million initiative for the study of international policy and security. The institute will host fellowship programs and fund internships for students.
On May 28, fifteen pro-Palestinian protesters occupied the reception area of the president’s office until the building closed for the day, calling for the Instiute to be shuttered and alleging the institute is funded by corporations that “assist in the massacring of Palestinian civilians.” Student activist Roan V. Wade ’25 was suspended, which bars them from all College properties. Six students began a hunger strike for the divestment proposal to be accepted and for Wade’s suspension to be lifted.
Actress Sandra Oh will deliver the 2025 commencement address on June 15.
