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Sweeney: Word of Advice

Verbum Ultimum: Free Skates

Winter has arrived in full force this week, and alongside the onslaught of ice and snow, another familiar sight for older students has appeared as well — after two years, ice skating is back on the Green. This Editorial Board would like to thank Dartmouth Facilities Operations and Management for installing the rink, which proved a hit in previous years. However, one logistical hiccup is preventing all of campus from enjoying this activity to the fullest extent possible: a lack of skates. 

Moyse: Admin, Stop Union Busting

In April 2023, students at the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies voted to unionize by a vote of 261-33. This vote came after nearly a year of campaigning by the Graduate Organized Laborers of Dartmouth, who had voted to affiliate themselves with the United Electrical and Machine Workers of America in July 2022.

Jackson: How Language Can Kill

On Oct. 7, the paramilitary wing of Hamas and several other groups situated in Gaza launched an incursion into Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,139 people. In the following days, a barrage of support flooded in. Celebrities pledged their allyship with Israel, the United States approved billions of dollars in funding for Israeli arms, and mainstream news sources reported 24/7 on the events as they unfolded. If you, like many, were underinformed about the situation in the region, it may have seemed that things in the region had been peaceful up until Oct. 7. They had not been. From 2014 to 2022, over 3,559 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces to the tune of relative silence.

Lane: Interstate compacts are New Hampshire’s problem-solving ‘Goldilocks zone’

New Hampshire’s biggest problems, such as health care access and affordability, the opioid epidemic or the affordable housing shortage, are often so big because they’re bigger than our state. They’re really regional, if not national issues, so of course if we treat them as a state or local issue, they aren’t going to go away as we’d like.

Montalbano: Nelson Rockefeller ’30 Brought a Forgotten Force to Moderate Politics

As I am sure we can all agree, many current legislators have an endless supply of stubbornness. The problem is that stubbornness can derail negotiation if used improperly and easily lead to a collapse into extremism. What is most unfortunate is that while the extremes lean heavily into these characteristics, those in the center are often far too timid to get into the rough and tumble of political debate.

Yun: How's Your Winterim?

Letter to the Editor: Drop Legacy Preferences

Re: Farr: Preserving Tradition While Advancing Equity Through Legacy Admissions

Letter to the Editor: Divestment Now

Re: Professors skeptical of Dartmouth New Deal divestment goals

Jindal: The Game Within a Game

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.

Wilson: College Preparedness Opportunities Are Not Equal

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.

Benvenuto: Dartmouth’s Dorms Need Attention

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. 

Farr: Preserving Tradition While Advancing Equity Through Legacy Admissions

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.

Nelson: A Critique of the Dartmouth New Deal

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. 

Dunleavy: Democracy Distorted

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.

Menning: Microbes, Mammoths and Climate

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. 

Montalbano: Even the Smallest Voice Can Have the Greatest Impact

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. 

Jackson: Keep Dartmouth Clean

If you’ve ever been outside for any significant amount of time on Dartmouth’s campus, it's likely you’re familiar with the concept of littering. And if you’ve spent any time engaged with the idea of litter, there’s a particular image that comes to mind of the people who do it. The careless, lazy slob who tosses their trash wherever they see fit, regardless of how it affects the world around them. Considering how disgusting, frustrating and detrimental litter can be, it’s no surprise that those who do it are judged so harshly. Seeing the place you spend every day dirtied up can be an immensely annoying experience. However, rather than quietly accepting the presence of litter on Dartmouth’s campus, the student body and staff should take steps to reduce it.

Bryant: Leave Dams Be

This past summer, FEMA allocated more than $14 million in flood relief to Vermont residents. In the town of Barre, Vermont, floodwaters from a branch of the Winooski river destroyed hundreds of homes, businesses and livelihoods. And yet, the non-profit Friends of Winooski River has plans to remove several dams in the Winooski watershed. As of 2021, more than 140 dams have been removed from Vermont’s waterways. 

Menning: Fossil Fuel Divestment Falls Short

In 2021, Dartmouth formally announced its intention to fully divest the endowment from fossil fuel companies. The decision followed years of student activism and placed the College among Brown University, Cornell University, Columbia University and Harvard University in making similar commitments. These universities are hardly alone in the divestment trend. According to the pro-divestment Global Fossil Fuel Divestment Commitment Database, nearly 1,600 institutions with combined assets over $40 trillion have committed to fully or partially divest from fossil fuels.