Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support independent student journalism. Support independent student journalism. Support independent student journalism.
SUPPORT THE DARTMOUTH
The Dartmouth
August 13, 2026
The Dartmouth
News
News

CFS begins its effort to discuss Greek diversity

By Neil Desai | February 14, 1996

Last November, Calvin Daniels '96, intern for Dean of Residential Life Mary Turco, presented a proposal to campus leaders calling for more diverse programming within the Greek system and efforts are now underway to follow the proposal. The proposal suggested the Coed Fraternity Sorority System invite a "well-respected, and already proven effective speaker to the College to address the community and the CFS leadership in particular" and to hold a panel discussion for CFS presidents and programming chairs. Daniels said the goal of the proposal, titled "Effective Diversity Programming in the Coed Fraternity Sorority System," is to give members of the CFS a better understanding of effective diversity programming. Turco said the proposal "is an excellent one." She said it addresses the stated goals of the Bildner Endowment, which are to foster the study of human and intergroup relations and to help individuals understand the nature of bigotry, discrimination and to reduce prejudice. CFS executive officers spent a day last month in a workshop with an expert on diversity and the Coed Fraternity and Sorority Council is now planning a panel discussion for sometime this term to discuss race relations, Daniels said. Individual houses are also addressing the call for more diverse programming through a series of events. A report published by the Committee on Diversity and Community at Dartmouth in 1993 noted that CFS organizations, as well as many other student organizations, need to play a more active role in supporting diversity. The committee's report stated that CFS organizations on any campus reinforce values and affinities that, among other things, often conflict with pluralism -- not because of any conscious intent but because they reinforce the most "superficial affinities." Turco said the CFS system has programming goals each year and has increased the number of programs related to diversity over time. "There had been concerns from students that occasionally there are re programming opportunities might not have their intended impact.

News

Senior charaged with criminal threatening

By Jeffrey Giuffrida | February 14, 1996

The Hanover Police Department arrested a Dartmouth senior Monday evening and charged him with four counts of criminal threatening. Sung Noh , is "currently in our custody," said the arresting officer, Hanover Police Detective Sergeant Frank Moran . According to a press release issued by Hanover Police, Noh allegedly "threatened to commit homicide against four individuals who are acquaintances of his during a social gathering" late Saturday evening at a student's off-campus apartment. Hanover Police declined to name the alleged victims. Noh was placed in the Grafton County Jail Monday evening when he was found unable to pay $10,000 bail.

News

Assembly discusses diversity committee

By James M> Hunnicutt | February 14, 1996

Student Assembly President Jim Rich '96 last night discussed the status of the Assembly's proposal for the administration to support a committee addressing concerns of campus diversity. At its meeting, the Assembly also discussed the results of a student survey it took earlier in the term and passed a resolution that modified the Assembly's bylaws. Last week, the Assembly passed a resolution asking Dean of the College Lee Pelton to form a committee to address diversity, in response to recent campus incidents.

News

Some students turn to matchmaking this Valentine's Day

By Robert Isaacs | February 14, 1996

Dating at the College often seems nonexistent, but April Whitescarver '96 has, for the past two years, crusaded to change students' attitudes toward the social ritual. Every Valentine's Day since 1994, Whitescarver has arranged dates between men and women at the College. This year, she said she has matched up 50 to 60 men and women as dates for Valentine's Day, Whitescarver said. Although the matchmaking is purely for fun, "there is a philosophy behind it -- combating the social scene here," Whitescarver said. "Dartmouth's social scene is less than desirable," she said.

News

Beta to host Greek programming

By Jeffrey Beyer | February 14, 1996

Although officers of Beta Theta Pi fraternity have said the house is beginning to plan programming events to address racism and sexism in the Greek system, administrators said they have not been in recent contact with the fraternity and are unaware of Beta's plans. In November, officers at Beta said the house would hold a number of events during Winter term, after Dean of the College Lee Pelton sent them a public letter at the beginning of last term calling for them to "develop bona fide, authentic and ongoing events" in light of the discovery of a controversial poem in August. The poem, written and read by a Beta brother at one of the house's weekly meetings over Summer term, was allegedly racist and sexist, and triggered an angry response from a small group of women on campus who had read the poem or excerpts from it. Some of the concerned women were members of Native Americans at Dartmouth and Sigma Delta sorority and these women called a meeting in mid-August, with Beta brothers, where they asked the brothers to privately apologize for the incident. The poem has recently resurfaced in students' discussions of the recent incidences of hate speech on campus. Beta President Chris Adamson '97 said Beta plans to invite two speakers to address racial and gender issues some time later this month. The Beta house was also the site of last night's Freshmen Outreach Program, an educational program created by Sexual Awareness through Greek Education. The program, conducted by members of SAGE, was designed to present freshmen with an honest portrayal of both the positive aspects of the Greek system and areas needing improvement, according to a CFSC press release. Adamson said the two speakers will appear at the house as part of the College's Greek Weekend from Feb.

News

Mexico FSP, LSA change locations

By Erin Loback | February 14, 1996

Both the Spanish Foreign Study Program and the Spanish Language Study Abroad Program will be changing location next year, said Lia Schwartz, acting chair of the Spanish department. Instead of being in Puebla, Mexico next winter, the Spanish FSP will be in Buenos Aires, Argentina in the spring of 1997. Starting next Winter term, the Spanish LSA will be in Puebla instead of Queretaro, Mexico. The LSA will continue to be offered in alternate springs, as well as each winter, said Peter Armstrong, exchange coordinator for Off-Campus Programs. "Nothing will change radically" about either program, Schwartz said. Schwartz said Buenos Aires is a culturally dense city with more than eight million people and has more to offer for an FSP than Puebla. She added the only difference for students is that the readings may change for the course taken prior to departure on the FSP.

News

Republicans discuss abortion platform

By Aimee Whitenack | February 14, 1996

John Rankin, president of the Theological Education Institute and Ann Stone, national director of Republicans for Choice, discussed the GOP's current platform on abortion in a debate last night. Rankin, focusing on political issues, took the affirmative position regarding "Should the Republican Party Keep Its Pro-Life Plank?" while Stone, who emphasized theological issues, argued against it. The debate ended in a draw. Rankin and Stone will most likely never agree, said Government Professor Tom Nichols, who was moderating the debate. The two Republican speakers said they recognized the need for change within the GOP platform regarding its antiabortion stance.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

Trending
The Dartmouth