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(05/23/13 2:00am)
It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great college when they see some of the most promising persons of the upcoming generation wasting their potential and dimming their intellectual capabilities every night. Sexual assault, hazing, binge drinking and intolerance are but a few of the consequences brought on by the prevalence of the fraternity system at the College. I think it is agreed by all parties that this male-dominated space has led to the exclusion of those who do not conform to the traditional gender norms of what society has decided constitutes a male. But my intention is very far from alienating those involved with the Greek system, as I believe they can be the primary agents for change. Indeed, there is an opportunity here that has been missed by most of the campus.
(05/13/13 2:00am)
Imagine for a moment that the state does not approve of my wish to marry my lover. Perhaps we are of the same sex, or perhaps we are distant cousins. What tangible impacts does not acquiring a certificate from some state bureaucrat have? We will go on living in the same house, loving each other and raising a family. Upon first glance, beyond mere symbolism, not being formally married has no consequences. However, the government's use of the tax code to punish unmarried individuals imparts financial consequences that are non-trivial, especially for those already struggling. The tax code currently discourages two-income households, effectively forcing partners to either forsake their jobs or divorce. The better solution is to eliminate the legal notion of marriage altogether and view all individuals as single for tax purposes.
(04/30/13 2:00am)
When Interim President Carol Folt sent out the email informing campus that classes would be canceled last Wednesday, I quietly remarked to my friend that due to midterms, labs and problem sets, I would not be able to attend the events planned that day. A student who overheard this confronted me proudly. "I'm tired of overhearing these conversations and doing nothing about it. This is the most important issue on this campus right now." Tiredly, I packed up my belongings and simply left the Hopkins Center without saying anything. Perhaps the student was surprised at the lack of response, or perhaps this individual thought the message was received. In either case, there was, thankfully, no further protest as I left. Standing up to discrimination is an important and respectable goal, and I understand the need to shame those who make a habit of using derogatory language. But approaching everyone, including potential allies, in a belligerent haze without bothering to understand the situation only alienates people and causes infighting.
(04/12/13 2:00am)
Gender disparity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is no secret. Stanford University's introductory computer science class has four males for every female. Tech Crunch magazine reported that some male students dismissed a female section leader simply because she had glitter in her hair, claiming that there was no possibility a sorority girl could be a computer science major. Such stories of a male-dominated culture and a fraternity-like work environment have been thrown around for so long that it has simply become common knowledge. While there is no doubt that women struggle every day with discrimination, the extent to which gender disparity exists and the solutions taken to rectify it must be reexamined.
(03/28/13 3:00am)
Spanking has historically been one of the most popular forms of disciplining children. According to University of New Hampshire sociologist Murray Straus, more than 90 percent of parents still spank their kids today. Recently, there has been a surge of studies comparing spanking to child abuse and vilification of parents who use physical punishments. Undoubtedly, child abuse is a very real problem, and millions of children around the world suffer from awful parenting that leaves physical and psychological scars that victims must wrestle with for the rest of their lives. However, although most of the outrage against spanking has been with the noblest of intentions, we must take a closer look at these studies before taking any drastic measures.
(02/26/13 4:00am)
Why do we have Dartmouth "Secure"? Why not just have a really fast public Internet connection that everyone can use? Presumably, we have a guarded network so we can protect users' sensitive information. Kiewit, which is responsible for the maintenance of Dartmouth's main computer networks, has seen an overhaul of these systems in the last year. Before the new Internet security policies were implemented, Dartmouth had a reasonably strong network, but our networks are now laughably insecure. Despite knowledgeable individuals bringing this fact to Kiewit's attention, these problems have been ignored and Kiewit refuses to rectify them. This raises serious questions not only about our network security, but the ways in which the Dartmouth administration operates.
(02/13/13 4:00am)
Professional French tennis player Gilles Simon was torn apart on the blogosphere last summer after commenting that female players should not receive equal pay, prompting the resurgence of equal pay advocates. While I will not defend Simon's exact phrasing, he is correct with the current rules, female tennis players do not deserve as much pay as male players. Advocates claim that women's tennis has the same viewership and training regimen, and that the greater potential for upsets in women's tennis makes it more interesting and compels equal pay for equal work. This last argument is the least persuasive, so let me begin here.
(01/09/13 4:00am)
As citizens of Dartmouth College, we are all indoctrinated into the Salty Dog Rag. However, as residents of Hanover, we are all intimately familiar with another boogie the Barnes Dance. The Barnes Dance is a colloquialism for the types of crosswalks the town of Hanover maintains all vehicles come to a stop, and then pedestrians are free to cross in any direction. For example, consider the intersection of Wheelock and Main Streets. Wheelock has a lot of traffic from Vermont, including large trucks and other slow moving traffic, while Main Street mostly has smaller cars and local Hanover residents flowing through. Known as a diagonal crossing (or scramble intersection to our Canadian friends), these crosswalks favor pedestrians over cars by stopping all traffic and letting pedestrians go in any direction, including diagonally, rather than allowing pedestrians to cross in the direction cars are currently travelling.
(11/08/12 4:00am)
On Monday, College Republicans Vice President Melanie Wilcox wrote a piece endorsing Mitt Romney ("Why I'm Voting for Mitt," Nov. 5). Although I did not vote for Romney, I acknowledge that Wilcox made some very sound arguments. She suggested that the Obama administration has been trying to detract attention away from its economic record to social issues in order to gain votes from minorities and women. In particular, they have framed the Republican positions on birth control and abortion as a "War on Women," when in fact, as Wilcox argues, the problem is an economic one. However, the responses have overwhelmingly focused on that single sentence, arguing that the war is real and single-handedly persecuted by the GOP. One comment on The Dartmouth's website goes so far as to say, "But I suppose as a man, that doesn't matter to you, cause [sic] Romney's policies on women helps preserve the system that so greatly benefits you."
(10/25/12 2:00am)
While most countries begin specialization early in high school, the United States has a unique tradition in liberal arts education. In India, students begin to specialize in their "plus two" years, the equivalent of their junior and senior years of high school. Based on the track they choose, they apply to colleges for a specific program. Computer science majors would not take any literature courses, and business students would not take biology classes. Most proponents of the liberal arts argue that a well-rounded education provides broader tools to tackle a wide range of problems, and, presumably, such personal development also plays a crucial role in happiness.
(10/10/12 2:00am)
With the election just a few weeks away, internet political advertisements are out in full swing. It seems impossible to watch television or even enjoy music on YouTube without hearing a message about America's future from either presidential candidate. In particular, an advertisement that revolves around women's rights has been played quite often, claiming that President Barack Obama stands for women's rights. Naturally, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is the shining example of his claim.
(09/26/12 2:00am)
The term has hardly been in session for three weeks, but McNutt is already busy recruiting '17s and '18s, filling spots on athletic teams and giving tours to prospective students. Like most colleges, Dartmouth has an affirmative action program that plays a role in the Admissions Office. According to its formal mission statement, "diversity at all levels is critical to Dartmouth's mission." The accepted purpose of affirmative action is to remedy past discriminations. Less accepted, however, is who pays the price. With a 10 percent acceptance rate, admitting one student means rejecting nine others.
(08/21/12 2:00am)
Jestina Clayton grew up in Sierra Leone, a poor country in which the average income is a mere $875 a year. As a child, she learned the hair-braiding traditions of her culture. When she turned 18, she moved to Centerville, Utah with hopes of a brighter future. She eventually found a niche that suited her talents, for while many parents in Utah had adopted African children, few knew traditional hair-braiding styles. Her story seemed to have a happy ending.
(06/26/12 2:00am)
You support gay marriage, so you must be gay, right? A person asking this question would be laughed out of most conversations. Nonetheless, I've often been asked a very similar question whenever I discuss another facet of marriage equality incest. Even jokingly, if I take a devil's advocate position of legalizing incest, the conversation becomes hushed, and people begin wondering if I'm dating my cousin. However, incest is a serious issue, and the most commonly cited reason for banning incestuous marriages that children born to incestuous parents have a significantly increased risk of genetic mutations does not hold up to empirical scrutiny.