Letter to the Editor: Divestment Now
Re: Professors skeptical of Dartmouth New Deal divestment goals
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Re: Professors skeptical of Dartmouth New Deal divestment goals
Over break, I saw a ’28 after she opened her acceptance letter to Dartmouth. I stood in an adjacent room — not knowing her well enough to feel as though I could be there for the actual opening of the letter — and waited to hear a reaction to the seemingly fate-deciding laptop click.
This November, Caitlin Kowalski GR’20 won a $60,000 award from the 2023 L’Oréal USA Women in Science program for her research studying how fungi can impact our health. The program, which has provided more than $5 million dollars in grants since its inception 20 years ago, grants awards annually to five female postdoctoral researchers. In her work, Kowalski specifically aims to understand how fungi that live on human skin protect against pathogens and skin infections. The Dartmouth spoke with Kowalski to discuss her research interests, reflections on the award and goals for the future.
In theory, Dartmouth should be the perfect place to find your soulmate. You’re surrounded by 4,000 other students of a similar age, and there are countless occasions to meet them. However, Dartmouth’s small size can make it seem like everybody knows everyone on campus, complicating the dating pool. To find connection and romance, some students turn to dating apps.
Dear Mirror,
On Dec. 15, the College accepted 606 students to the Class of 2028 from an all-time high pool of 3,550 applicants — an 18% jump in applicants from last year, according to a Dartmouth News article. The acceptance rate for early decision applicants was 17%, which marks a record low for the College and a 2% decrease from last year.
Exactly 20 minutes after the referee blew the final whistle in Providence, a smartphone held above the 45-yard line at Richard Gouse Field set off a chain reaction.
All Nick Howard ’23 could do was sigh.
Imagine the following: You’re a spectator at the first Olympics in Ancient Greece in 776 B.C. The spectacle of events like running, wrestling and chariot racing is unlike anything ever seen before. However, there is more to the Olympics than a scintillating display of physical ability, mental fortitude and strength; it was conceived to foster a peaceful environment, preventing war between city-states. Sports have since evolved considerably, but one thing that has remained constant is their ability to accelerate the formulation of diplomatic ties, propel people and nations alike out of impoverishment and strengthen multilateral relations.
I am extremely proud of all of my peers who have gone to inspiring lengths to become the first generation in their families to attend college. Indeed, 16% of Dartmouth’s Class of 2026 consists of first-generation college students. This group of students has faced unique challenges to get here, and it is imperative that they are supported and feel welcome at this institution. At the same time, new programming for students who aren’t first-generation but may not have had access to robust college preparation resources could help fill a gap for others who would also greatly benefit.
While the College has announced plans to build a complex at 25 West Wheelock Street to house 250 to 300 students, improvements are still necessary in older dorm buildings across campus. President Sian Beilock certainly is addressing the needs of students with her inaugural pledge to build 1,000 beds in the next decade, but the College cannot forget about its existing buildings. As long as students are still stuck living in older dorm buildings, the integrity of these facilities should be prioritized.
In the wake of the landmark Supreme Court decision that ruled to end race-conscious admissions within higher education, another admissions policy is currently under fire. Legacy admissions have come under scrutiny due to their historical tendency to favor affluent, white students disproportionately and often at the expense of Black, Asian, Native American and Hispanic students, which is a valid argument. A considerable number of Dartmouth’s peer institutions decided to sunset legacy admissions prior to the ruling. These institutions include, but are not limited to, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Amherst College, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Michigan. Each institution made the decision independently, but at the core of their decisions lies a shared belief that legacy admissions constitute a discriminatory policy.
Sunrise Dartmouth, a student advocacy group on campus, recently released the “Dartmouth New Deal,” a document outlining broad demands of the College. The terms are wide-ranging, including sustainability efforts, financial aid, community outreach, Indigenous student relations and much more. These recommendations contain many good ideas to improve the Dartmouth community significantly, but many of its provisions are vague, impractical or financially arduous. These issues undermine the New Deal’s efficacy, and it does not represent the best way to improve Dartmouth.
Out-of-state donations to state and local campaigns are growing out of control. In 2022, 64.8% of donations to Senate races and 43.5% of House races were from out-of-state. In N.H. Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan’s Senate campaign, 87.91% of the donations were from out-of-state. In other words, only 12.09% of Maggie Hassan’s funds were from her constituents. In 2022, the Republican Arizona Secretary of State nominee, Mark Finchem, received 55% of his funding from out-of-state donors. Last year, New York billionaire Micheal Bloomberg donated almost $29 million to support a California ballot measure on flavored tobacco products. In the 2022 East Baton Rouge Parish School Board elections, out-of-state donations and outside spending accounted for $1.9 million of the $2.4 million spent financing nine school board races, or around 80% of the total expenditures. The resulting out-of-state influence on state and local elections is an unacceptable disruption to democracy and federalism.
A biotechnology breakthrough at Dartmouth was critical in ending the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2014 to 2016, professor emeritus Jason McLellan and his team at the Geisel School of Medicine worked with collaborators to develop a method to stabilize coronavirus spike proteins. The method proved critical to developing the vaccines that have saved millions of lives and prompted the end of the pandemic lockdowns.
The first thought you may have about this article is that the title leans on cliche. I would agree with you. But unfortunately, this cliche — that even the smallest can make fundamental change — must be repeated in our present day. It seems too often that students forget how important their voices can be. Indeed, we have a great privilege to be attending one of the greatest educational institutions in the world, and we have an obligation to act on that. I’m sure your professors have told you so numerous times over. Today, I want to illustrate a historical example of this cliche to show that it is absolutely true.
On Nov. 13, the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Dartmouth Political Union co-hosted a discussion with Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, a Democrat, as part of their “Path to the Presidency” speaker series. Rep. Phillips has served in Congress since 2019 and, on Oct. 27, announced his bid for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination, challenging President Joe Biden. The Dartmouth sat down with Rep. Phillips to discuss his long-shot campaign, President Biden and his policy positions.
For the first time, The Dartmouth conducted a survey of first-year students to complement the annual senior survey of the graduating class. Students were asked to compare their high school and college experiences, as well share their views on Dartmouth’s academics, social scene and campus issues. The following four sections provide a breakdown of their answers.
With the 2024 New Hampshire presidential primary elections just months away, student discussion surrounding voter turnout, foreign affairs and campaigning has been plentiful. Throughout the past few months, the campus has seen a slew of candidates on their campaign trail, including Asa Hutchinson, Chris Christie and Marianne Williamson. In preparation for the 2024 presidential and state elections, The Dartmouth polled students on their political leanings, stances on the nation’s political climate and views of candidates.
In recent years, the Department of Safety and Security seems to have upped its policing at Greek-hosted events, leading to more suspensions, probations and warnings, according to The Dartmouth’s past coverage. While word of mouth is one thing, what does the data say? Are particular offenses more prevalent than other offenses? Do certain types of organizations receive more citations than other organizations? Has the distribution of citations changed over time?