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The Dartmouth
March 29, 2026
The Dartmouth
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Some professors put classes on to the Net

By Erin Loback | February 14, 1996

Many Dartmouth courses actively integrate computers into the curriculum by creating on-line tutorials and World Wide Web sites for students, but professors still prefer personal interactions with students, and said on-line tutorials are no substitute for class time. A Brown University study tried to examine the possibility of replacing classes with computer sessions, but it met with inconclusive results, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. While many professors at Dartmouth utilize computer technology and software as supplements to their courses, Math department Chair James Baumgartner said it is "not in any sense a substitute for what goes on in the classroom." Chemistry Professor Michael Walters, who is teaching organic chemistry this term, said the chemistry department does not use tutorial programs as a major component of its lecture courses, and he does not "foresee it in the future." Walters said while Dartmouth does not have anything now in the way of special tutorials in organic chemistry, it does have "lots of software on Public that students can use on their own computers." MacSqualor is a program that helps students identify unknown substances, a task commonly done in class laboratories.

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SAGE lectures '99s on the Greek system

By Jake Molland | February 14, 1996

Sexual Awareness through Greek Education and the Coed Fraternity Sorority Council co-sponsored the Greek system's first step of the new Freshmen Outreach Program last night in a meeting to inform members of the Class of 1999 about the Greek system. Three panelists, Jess Adelman '96, Dani Brune '96, and Grier Laughlin '96 spoke about life in the Greek system to fewer than ten freshman women, although all members of the Class of 1999 were invited. Jen Hill '97, co-chair of SAGE, said Outreach is an attempt to lessen division on campus between freshman and upperclassmen. She said, in an interview with The Dartmouth before the meeting, the main point of last night's meeting was to discuss sexual awareness and gender issues. The panelists focused on interaction between freshmen and upperclassmen and other facets of the Greek system, such as common stereotypes and negative misconceptions surrounding fraternity and sorority houses. "There aren't opportunities for freshman and upperclassmen to exchange ideas," Hill said.

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Students under investigation for drugs

By Erin Loback | February 13, 1996

An investigation of "drug activity" within Bones Gate fraternity was triggered by "inadvertent discoveries" made during a response to a fire alarm Thursday evening, said Detective-Sergeant Frank Moran of the Hanover Police Department. The police are still investigating their discoveries, but Moran said he hoped to complete the investigation soon. Moran said when the fire and police departments responded to the alarm, "fire department officials and, to a lesser extent, Dartmouth Safety and Security" found evidence of illegal substances. College Proctor Bob McEwen said "things were noticed" during the evacuation, and the police were notified. McEwen said he does not know what was confiscated from the house. The police officers present at the scene took down the initial information and sought search warrants, Moran said. "No one has been arrested to date," he said, "At this point we are still investigating." Moran said the Drug Enforcement Agency is not involved in the Bones Gate investigation because "the DEA does not usually get involved in things of this caliber." Bones Gate President Jeremy Stackawitz '97 said the investigation is not a house issue.

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Other universities wrestle with First Amendment issues

By Jeffrey Beyer | February 13, 1996

While the recent incidents of racial harassment at the College have forced the campus to examine its definition of free speech, other colleges across the nation have also witnessed tumultuous campus-wide debates over First Amendment rights. Because the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects the freedom of speech, does not apply to private colleges and universities in 49 states, most schools retain the authority to restrict what students' can say.

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Committee of Chairs meeting held

By Jeffrey Giuffrida | February 13, 1996

The Committee of Chairs discussed the future of the College's Academic Honor Principle and the flaws in the College's current enforcement of it at their meeting yesterday. The Committee, whose membership includes each chair of the College's various academic programs and departments, gathered in Alumni Hall yesterday afternoon for its Winter term meeting. The COC also approved proposals to establish new English department Foreign Study Programs in Dublin, Glasgow, and Trinidad; to add a language requirement to the African and African American Studies modified major, and to rename the Department of German Language and Literature the Department of German Studies. In launching the discussion of the honor principle, College President James Freedman said the College honor code tends to be misinterpreted by many students and called for reform. "A lot of students don't understand ... the more we educate them, the more grief we can save them," Freedman said. The College's Committee on Standards, which enforces honor principle violations, was a particular source of dissatisfaction for many of the chairs at the meeting. A recently released survey gauging faculty and student opinions toward the Academic Honor Principle found that 70 percent of Dartmouth faculty members would not go to the COS with an honor principle violation. The same survey reported that 52 percent of faculty think they explain the Honor Principle in class, while only 16 percent of students claim their professors explain the Honor Principle. English Professor Donald Pease questioned the consistency of the annually-elected body.

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Assembly works to revise advising

By James M> Hunnicutt | February 12, 1996

In an effort to revamp the current advising system, Student Assembly President Jim Rich '96 sent a letter to the Committee on Procedure last term, unanimously approved by the Assembly, requesting that the College change its policies for advising freshmen and sophomores. Since then, the Assembly has formed an ad hoc committee to gather more information about problems with Dartmouth's advising in consultation the Committee on Student Life, which received from the COP the responsibility of responding to the Assembly's petition. Education Professor Andrew Garrod, chair of the Committee on Student Life, said the Assembly's advising committee has been "a very important player" in the issue of possibly revising advising. COSL is an organization of administrators, faculty members and students who address issues pertinent to students' lives, Garrod said. Garrod said COSL will draft a survey "in a couple of weeks" to find out more about what students and faculty members want regarding advising. COSL will distribute the survey to about 1,000 students and 100 faculty.

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Harris speaks about diversity at dinner

By Lillie Ng | February 12, 1996

Ozzie Harris, associate director of equal opportunity and affirmative action, spoke to students at a dinner and discussion Thursday night about the difficulties he faced as a mixed-race student at Dartmouth in the late 1970s and how the experience led him to shatter the stereotypes he held. The speech, "Striving to Live a Multicultural Life," was attended by approximately 175 Dartmouth students and 24 faculty members in Collis Common Ground. The dinner and discussion were held in response to a suggestion made by Dean of the College Lee Pelton at the town meeting on Feb.

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Freedman signs his new book

By Elysa Jacobs | February 12, 1996

College President James Freedman spent part of his Winter Carnival signing copies of his new book for a small, but steady, stream of people at the Dartmouth Bookstore on Saturday afternoon. After the signing of his book "Idealism and Liberal Education," Freedman attended a small reception at the Hayward Lounge in the Hanover Inn. According to the bookstore, almost 100 copies of the book have been sold, "which is exciting," Freedman said. In his book, Freedman discusses how he became an educator, praises affirmative action, discusses how literature has affected his life and describes several "idealists" he has admired. Many of the people who stood in line to have Freedman sign copies of his book were students buying copies as gifts for their parents or parents buying the book to surprise their children. "I thought the book signed by the President of the College would make a good surprise gift," one parent of a Dartmouth freshman said. Freedman said, "A number of parents have been in to get presents for Commencement in order to give to graduating students." Others bought copies with other educators in mind. "It is my father's 80th birthday, he is a retired Colorado State University professor and I thought this would make a great gift," said Aileen Shaltain, a Hanover resident. The reception at the Hanover Inn, where Freedman spoke for about five minutes, was well attended but only a few students were at the gathering. Freedman said he is "sensitive to criticism in press that college presidents don't speak out on issues." This book is a "message that liberal education is important," he said and expressed concern that "fewer than half of the undergraduates in the country are majoring in liberal arts"

News

Psi U brothers ready for annual keg jump tradition

By Neil Desai | February 9, 1996

About 15 years ago, David Carson '85 strapped on his hockey skates, stepped on to Psi Upsilon fraternity's homemade skating rink and peered at the line of kegs he had to jump. Little did Carson know that he would become one of the forefathers of this quintessential Winter Carnival tradition, which Psi U brothers faithfully uphold to this day. Carson conquered about eight or nine kegs that day and then called it quits, realizing he did not want to sacrifice his body in order to jump over more kegs. "It was a ball -- a group of fellas getting together having some fun in an athletic way in the midst of the great wintry north," Carson reminisced in a recent telephone interview with The Dartmouth. Not much has changed since then. The fraternity has flooded its front lawn to create a skating rink every winter since the 1960s, but the keg jump competition was not introduced until the early 1980s, Carson said. Saturday morning, Psi U will once again be holding its annual keg jump competition. It was during the winter of 1983 that Carson took his first jump. "I participated in the keg jump, but I did more falling than anything else.

News

Carnival has provided many memories in 86-year history

By Jacqueline Rose | February 9, 1996

Dartmouth's Winter Carnival, which grew out of one student's desire to take advantage of the snowy Hanover winters, has grown to a mammoth celebration that in its history has encompassed everything from pageants and ski races to student protests and Pepsi commercials.

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Despite some hardships, workers finish sculpture

By Aaron Lisman | February 9, 1996

Over the past several weeks, the strange creation in the middle of the Green has resembled a Trojan horse, a shanty, a dumpster or, sometimes, just a large block of ice. But, by yesterday afternoon, the final touches were being put on Dartmouth's 71st snow sculpture -- a stegosaurus standing atop a block of ice. As the sculpture began to take on its final shape, the feeling among the students who have poured their time and energy into the structure over the last month was of elation and sweet gratification. Admiring the completed dinosaur, sculpture committee chair Sara Paisner '96 said, "watching all these people come by and get excited about it is great.

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Council makes Carnival possible

By Allison K. Hoffman | February 9, 1996

Every year, Winter Carnival is planned and executed with seeming machine-like precision -- a theme is chosen, a poster is designed and selected, t-shirts are processed, a snow sculpture is conceived and shaped in the middle of the Green, and the weekend is filled with ceremonies, dances and fireworks. But most of the Dartmouth community and other visitors who enjoy Carnival each February do not realize the hard work undertaken each year by a group of dedicated students -- the Winter Carnival Council. Tim Chow '96 and Amy Henry '97, co-chairs of the 1996 Winter Carnival Council, have been working furiously for the past several weeks to ensure that the traditions of Carnival come to life this year. "We're both ultimately responsible for everything that's on the Winter Carnival Council," Chow said. Henry joked, "We got sucked in." Last summer, while most Dartmouth students were lying out in the sun and making plans for the next weekend, Chow and Henry began to plan this year's Carnival by choosing a theme. They decided on "'Round the Girdled Earth They Roamed: A Prehistoric Carnival." Over the course of the past months, the council has held weekly meetings to monitor progress.

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Despite warm conditions, many hope to sled at golf course

By Erin Loback | February 9, 1996

When the temperature drops and snow covers Hanover, many Dartmouth students celebrate coming of the winter season by heading for the hills -- the hills of the golf course, that is. When covered in snow, the greens, hills and fairways of the course become perfect for sledding, or "traying," one of the time-honored traditions of Winter term that becomes even more popular during Winter Carnival Weekend. Carrying everything from inner-tubes and sleds to pilfered Dartmouth Dining Services trays, over the years many students have enjoyed the rush of coasting through the New Hampshire countryside. Traditionally, first-year students head for the hill on the golf course called "freshman hill" after the first snowfall of the year. Although rain and unseasonably warm temperatures have prevented sledding for most of this winter, many students went sledding at the end of Fall term or during the beginning of January. John Cruz '99, who is from Hawaii, said he went sledding for the first time at the end of Fall term. Cruz said he was hesitant at first, since he had never seen snow until he came to Dartmouth and did not know what to expect. After experiencing the wonders of sliding at high speeds down the icy golf course though, Cruz said "once you go sledding, you don't regret it." Cruz said he has a tray from Home Plate, but he opted to sled using a Full Fare tray instead. If there is enough snow during this Winter Carnival weekend, Cruz said he wants to go sledding again.

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Theremin's life examined

By Tom Jawetz | February 9, 1996

The theremin is an odd instrument that stands straight like a podium with a horizontal loop and a vertical antenna sticking out of the top. The eery, etherial sound that is emitted is brought forth by musicians who need not even touch the instrument -- rather, the sound is created by the manipulation of an electromagnetic field. If this description sounds peculiar, the man who invented it was certainly, at least, equally peculiar.

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Truffaut, Godard films make their mark

By Mobina Hashmi | February 9, 1996

From a little cinema club in Paris in the 1940s came a movement that changed cinema for ever. Truffaut, Godard, Chabrol, Resnais and Rohmer -- all regular attendees -- got to know each other there. From there they became acquainted with Andre Bazin and began writing for his journal, Cahiers du Cinema and the "New Wave," auteur theory and camera-stylo (writing with the camera) were born. These young men were passionately involved not only with cinema, but also with literature, philosophy, art, music and politics. Each of them went in different directions, but the literacy they brought to film shows in the essays they wrote as critics and in the film essays they "penned" as filmmakers and artists. In 1959, the same year that Bergman made "Virgin Spring," Fellini made "La Dolce Vita," and Antonioni made "L'Avventura," Truffaut and Godard made their first films. Truffaut chose to work with genres, playing with and challenging the rules of each individual genre.

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Big Green host Yale

By Richard Petty | February 9, 1996

For Dartmouth swimming, Winter Carnival means beating Yale, and that is exactly what the Big Green plan to do as the men take to Karl B.

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