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The Dartmouth
August 13, 2026
The Dartmouth
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News

Senior Symposium plans nearly finished

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Plans are now being finalized for the Class of 1996 Senior Symposium, a six-day event that will focus on this year's theme "They Said It Couldn't Be Done." "The topic encompasses a lot of disciplines and at the same time has a lot of great stories associated with it," Senior Class Vice President Tom Caputo said. Scheduled to run from March 8 to March 13, this year's symposium is one day longer than usual due to the wide variety of fields encompassed by the theme. The Class of 1978 began the senior symposium as an intellectual gift to the College from the senior class. This year's symposium will include 18 speakers in total, according to Leslie Jennings '96, chair of the senior symposium. Roger Launius, chief historian at the National Aeronautical and Space Administration, will give the symposium's keynote address. He will speak about the Apollo 11 moon landing, Jennings said. This is the "traditional thing you think of" when you think about things that were at one time thought to be impossible, she said. Some of the other topics the symposium speakers will discuss include sports, medicine, technology, social movement and government. One of the speakers for the sports section of the program is Roger Bannister, the first man to break the four-minute mile, Jennings said. The symposium will also include a panel discussion about coeducation at Dartmouth.


News

Organic farm becoming a reality

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With the assistance of the newly hired farm manager, Betsy Garties, Dartmouth's Organic Farm is gearing up to cultivate the farmer in every Dartmouth student. Student volunteers will provide a lot of labor for the farm, said Garties, who is a professional farmer with a degree in soil and crop science from Texas A&M University. "We are also going to be hiring work study students," she added. Garties said she is hoping people will get involved with the farm on an academic level, with a class project or independent study. "I'd like to think of it as a resource for students," Garties said. Ross Virginia, chair of the Environmental Studies department, said next term's Environmental Science 79, Soil Science, will utilize the farm. Virginia said the department has been interested in the farm since its inception and he said he hopes students may soon be able to become academically involved with it. "The farm is sort of an outdoor lab," Virginia said.


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Forum discusses 'black love and self-respect'

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In the continuing celebration of Black History Month, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity presented a discussion of "Black Love and Self-Respect" yesterday afternoon. The discussion session featured Assistant Director of Career Services Abraham Hunter and Assistant Dean of the College Sylvia Langford as speakers. Hunter and Langford spoke for a half-hour to an audience of about 15 students and then participated in an hour-long discussion. Langford's speech centered on the importance of self-love, self-respect and the continuing fight against racism. Hunter told the story of how he met his second wife and the precepts they used to maintain a stable family. Langford began yesterday's forum by quoting civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who said, "If we don't learn to live together like brothers and sisters, we should die together like fools." "Self-love is the root of all love," Langford said.


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Students discuss black Greek life

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The history of black Greek organizations, their emphasis on community service and the misconceptions their members face were some of the topics discussed Friday by a panel of members from several historically black Greek organizations. The discussion, titled "The History of Black Greek Organizations and Their Contributions to the Community," took place in Room 1 of the Rockefeller Center for the Social Sciences and drew an audience of about 20 students. Panelists from the Dartmouth chapters of Delta Sigma Theta sorority and Alpha Phi Alpha and Kappa Alpha Psi fraternities participated, as did Chris Chambers, an Area Director at the College and former Phi Beta Sigma fraternity brother at Howard University. The misconceptions that members of historically black organizations experience on campus were a lively topic of discussion. Former Alpha Phi Alpha President Calvin Daniels '96 said several Dartmouth students have asked him, "Why aren't you allowed to talk to white people?" Delta Sigma Theta President Taja-Nia Henderson '97 said her sorority should not be lumped in with the rest of the sororities on campus. "We're not a part of that rush process," she said. Daniels also emphasized that prospective members "do not rush." He said they must attend informational meetings, be invited to apply, be interviewed by the brothers, and pass a history examination given by the national fraternity. All panelists said their organizations were not necessarily limited to black students. "Anyone can join if they're interested," Kappa Alpha Psi brother Adrian Busby '96 said.


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Results in, Buchanan shows strength, but not staying power

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As presidential hopeful Patrick Buchanan eeked his way across the New Hampshire Primary's finish line, political pundits claimed they were unruffled by what many voters saw as a surprising upset. While few analysts think Buchanan will be handed the GOP nomination at San Diego, they say his New Hampshire finish may cause voters and candidates alike to pay more attention to him. The candidates will have just a few days to reflect upon the results in New Hampshire before the scene shifts to Delaware, Arizona, North Dakota and South Dakota. By March 12, or "Super Tuesday," more than half of the delegates for this August's Republican convention in San Diego will be determined. Since New Hampshire holds the first primary in the nation, the outcome of the election here is always significant, and few men have procured their party's presidential nomination without first receiving New Hampshire's stamp of approval. Following Tuesday night's election, the conventional wisdom among most analysts is that the number of candidates vying for the Republican Party's nomination has been definitively narrowed down from eight to three -- Buchanan, Kansas Senator Bob Dole and former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander. Buchanan garnered 27 percent of the vote, slightly ahead of Dole's 26 percent.


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Mohr speaks on cultural attitudes towards gays

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Richard Mohr, a philosophy professor from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, argued that political change can only result from reformed cultural attitudes towards homosexuality in a speech titled "Special Rights?


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Haig to compete in Miss Black USA

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Nadine Haig '97 will represent New Hampshire at the Miss Black USA pageant in Washington, D.C., tomorrow. Haig says she is excited about the national contest because it will give her the opportunity to meet women like herself from across the nation and to be "a role model for other young ladies." A 20-year-old from Brooklyn, N.Y., Haig won first prize in the Miss Black New Hampshire pageant in November, giving her the right to continue on to the Miss Black USA pageant. Haig said she entered the New Hampshire pageant, which she learned about on an Afro-American Society bulletin board, because "it would be something fun and interesting, something to tell my kids about." So far there have been no requirements of her state title, Haig said. The national contest, which is based on academic achievement as well as physical beauty, will be aired on the cable network Black Entertainment Television later this year, she said. The competition consists of four segments: personal expression, talent, evening gown and a personal interview. At the televised pageant, Haig will perform a monologue for the talent portion of the show, she said. Haig said she has been working with English Department Chair Bill Cook to find an African-American monologue that is "really dramatic, strong and cultural." Haig said she spent her winter break preparing for the national competition.


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Forum discusses affirmative action

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A panel of Dartmouth administrators and faculty members that discussed the positive and negative aspects of affirmative action and its impact on Asian-Americans provoked a heated discussion last night The community forum, titled "Asian-Americans, Affirmative Action and Graduate School Admissions," was co-sponsored by the Korean Asian Student Association and the Dartmouth Asian Organization. Government Professor James Shoch began by providing a compact historical background of affirmative action in America and went on to emphasize its illegitimate role as a political tool. "Affirmative action has become a wedge issue," Shoch said.


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Manure dumped on two fraternity lawns

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In an effort to provoke campus reaction, a group of concerned students placed signs and piles of manure on the front lawns of Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity and Beta Theta Pi fraternity, late last night, in response to the fraternities' alleged racist and sexist writings. "Hey Alpha Chi boys, deal with your shit.



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Snapshots recognized by COSO

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Snapshots of Color was recognized last week by the Committee on Student Organizations as an official Dartmouth group. Snapshots of Color publishes a literary and artistic journal that discusses issues of race, ethnicity and culture "I am very happy to have Snapshots be a part of the COSO family of organizations.


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Students look into changing rush

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With fairness in mind, the president and vice president of the Panhellenic Council will soon submit a proposal to Panhell that recommends the current rush process be changed to a kind of randomized lottery system. Panhell President and Kappa Kappa Gamma sister Jess Russo '97 said she and Panhell Vice President Marcie Handler '97, a member of Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority, are working on a rush proposal that combines the traditional selection process with a lottery system. While the proposal is still being written, Russo and Handler both said they think it is not only a good idea, but it is also very realistic and hope it would be implemented next fall. Russo said fairness is a main goal of the new proposal.


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'Jockwear' abounds at the College

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Sometimes walking across campus is like swimming in alphabet soup. It's hard to walk 100 yards without seeing a woman with the letters of her Greek house prominently displayed on her sweatshirt or a man wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with his fraternity house's letters. Some students said they have become attached to their jockwear over the years. Jorge Motoshige '96 said his Zeta Psi fraternity hat is well traveled.


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Campus reacts to Buchanan's primary victory

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Students said they were shocked by conservative commentator Pat Buchanan's first place finish in the New Hampshire Republican Primary yesterday, and believe Lamar Alexander has a better chance of winning the GOP nomination. Mark Cicirelli '96, co-vice president of the Conservative Union at Dartmouth and Alexander supporter, said he is concerned about Buchanan's finish with 27 percent of the vote. "His protectionism and isolationism are a very radical departure from what Republicanism has been," Cicirelli said.


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Assembly looks to combat apathy

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Members of two Student Assembly committees met with representatives of campus organizations yesterday to discuss ways to combat apathy and organizational isolation by facilitating communication between student groups. Communications Committee Vice President Jonah Sonnenborn '99 said yesterday's meeting was the beginning of a series of meetings that will have a similar focus. Sonnenborn said students at the meeting discussed apathy and ways "more organizations can involve one another." Oberkofler said yesterday's meeting had two specific objectives. The first goal, she said, is to create a single reference that lists all the organizations on campus. "If someone is interested in knowing what organizations there are, he could just pick up a booklet," she said. Oberkofler said the second goal is to help student organizations better publicize events. "Often groups have events, but it is difficult to get people to come," she said. Sonnenborn said the committee also discussed appointing a student intern on activities who would coordinate information and events from all College-recognized organizations to make it more accessible to students. The creation of this position represents the second step the Assembly has taken in this direction. Monica Oberkofler '96, the vice president of the Student Organizations Committee, said the Assembly added an eighth vice president during Summer term, who is also a member of the College's Committee on Student Organizations. Oberkofler currently fills this position. The committee consists of Assembly members who also represent other campus organizations, she said. Many student groups are already represented on the committee, Oberkofler said. Oberkofler said she has contacted more campus organizations, and some have expressed interest in joining the committee. The Afro-American Society, La Alianza Latina, the Dartmouth Asian Organization, the Dartmouth Outing Club, the World Affairs Council, Asgard, Native Americans at Dartmouth, WDCR and WFRD radio stations, the Coed Fraternity Sorority Council, Young Democrats at Dartmouth and the Rape Education Action Committee are all represented on the committee. At the Student Assembly meetinglater last night, Chris Swift '98, who is not an Assembly member, reported on the status of a set of surveys for students and faculty members to assess the advising system. Swift said, "Advising is not one-stop shopping," and his committee is looking to assess whether faculty advisors are helpful to freshmen and whether freshmen use the advisors and other first year resources to their benefit. Vice President of the Administration and Faculty Relations Committee Laura Bennett '96 said the on-line course guide the Assembly has been compiling was approved by Pelton and Dean of the Faculty Jim Wright to be put on the College's home page. Shakari Cameron '96 said the guide should be on the home page this week. Assembly President Jim Rich '96 said next week's meeting may be on a different day because Dean of the College Lee Pelton will be addressing the Assembly. Rich said Pelton will talk about the First-Year Experience report and his reactions and ideas for solutions to the hate crime incidents that have been occuring on campus.



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Students gather to watch primary returns

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Although much of the Dartmouth community stayed home and tuned into radio or television to hear the results of yesterday's New Hampshire presidential primary; many also crowded the Rockefeller Center for the Social Sciences, which for a few hours was converted into a frenzy of political viewing activity. In the Hinman Forum and in two lecture halls of the Rockefeller Center, students and professors attended the first-ever Rockefeller Center New Hampshire primary night party, complete with big screen televisions and catering by Dartmouth Dining Services. The primary night party drew close to 200 people over the course of the evening, though no more than 50 were in attendance at any one time. Representing the government department, Professors James Murphy and Constantine Spiliotes attended the function. In addition to watching the returns come in on the Cable News Network and WMUR-TV, all the attendees were asked to cast votes in a Rockefeller Center straw poll. As of 10 p.m.



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Faculty discuss issues of academic space

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In his annual report to the faculty of the arts and sciences at yesterday's faculty meeting, Dean of the Faculty Jim Wright unveiled a new proposal to address some of the College's "more pressing" academic space problems. He proposed several building renovations and the relocation of some academic departments and programs. Wright also affirmed the College's commitment to recruiting and maintaining a diverse faculty. College President James Freedman appraised the faculty of information concerning last weekend's Trustees meeting, reported on the Will to Excel Campaign and discussed admissions statistics. The meeting, which was the second gathering of the faculty this term, was held in Alumni Hall of the Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts.