News - The Dartmouth

News

Matityahu visits

By Rebecca Siegel | May 19, 1994

Efy Ben Matityahu, the academic affairs coordinator in the Israeli Consulate in New York, visited Dartmouth yesterday as part of the celebration of Israeli Independence Day. "I feel that today we have a new reality in the Middle East," Matityahu said. At a Hillel-sponsored dinner in the Lone Pine Tavern last night, Matityahu spoke about the latest developments in the Middle East, capping off a day spent discussing Israeli politics and culture with faculty and students. Referring to the recent agreement in which Israel agreed to relinquish control over the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians, Matityahu said the greatest challenge in the future is to assure that the 17,000 Israelis who have lost their lives since Israel became a state in 1948 did not die in vain. In an interview after his address to students, Matityahu elaborated on his thoughts about the peace process in the Middle East. "The Israeli public is very supportive of the notion of peace but they still have anxiety over how the Palestinian side is going to live up to the commitments of the agreements," Matityahu said. "It's been a long ride, but a promising one," he said.

News

'95 Council turmoil

By Scott Anthony | May 19, 1994

Several members of the 1995 Class Council say they are upset that Class President Tim Rodenberger is encouraging the council to spend "inappropriate" amounts of money this term, such as having a $200 council dinner last Friday at upscale Simon Pearce restaurant in Quechee, Vt. The council has spent about $4,000 this term, according to Rodenberger, leaving the Council with about $3,000 in its account. Rodenberger lost a re-election bid to current vice president Alyse Kornfeld '95 in the spring. A source close to the council said during the campaign Rodenberger approached Kornfeld and warned her that if she won, the council would try to squander all of its remaining funds by the end of the term in an effort to hurt Kornfeld's council. Even though all class expenditures are voted on by the entire council, the source said Rodenberger has encouraged, and at times, led the effort to recklessly spend money. Another source close to the council said since Rodenberger lost his re-election bid, the council has been "much more inclined to be generous" with funds. Rodenberger said he thinks it is "absurd" to blame him for the council's spending. "Someone has forgotten that I can't act in any unitary way -- I don't have any authoritarian power," he said.

News

Walser awarded more than $50,000

By Meredith Dixon | May 18, 1994

Music Professor Robert Walser is having a prolific Spring term, winning three fellowships with a total worth of more than $50,000 and an award for an article he wrote on popular American music. Walser, who specializes in popular music, was recently given $30,000 from the National Endowment for Humanities, $20,000 from the American Council of Learned Societies and $4,400 from the Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation. The NEH and ACLS fellowships are two of the three most prestigious awards offered for work in the humanities, said Christian Wolff, chair of the music department.

News

Disciplinary code changed slightly

By Colin Grey | May 18, 1994

Dean of the College Lee Pelton released a report on the Undergraduate Judicial Review Committee's final recommendations Monday, which called for only minor adjustments to the College's disciplinary system. The report issued eight Dartmouth Community Standards of Conduct to replace the current Code of Conduct's 33 regulations, which is published in the Student Handbook. The report also included recommendations on how to make clear various aspects of the College's judicial system, including a simplification of the language used in the Committee on Standards' hearings. In a three-page introduction to the report, Pelton pointed out the importance of the new Standards of Conduct. "These Standards articulate the College's expectation that students are required to conduct themselves in a manner which is consistent with the institutional community's pursuit of its educational objectives," he wrote. The eight Standards are broader in scope than the Code of Conduct.

News

Cook honored at River College

By Siobhan Gorman | May 18, 1994

English Professor William Cook gave his first commencement speech Saturday to a graduating class of 579 students at Rivier College in Nashua, N.H., where he received an honorary degree. Cook, a Doctor of Humane Letters recipient, was selected as the commencement speaker because "he has made expanding contributions in English education and for promoting awareness of multicultural studies and for his achievements in the performing arts," Rivier English Professor Paul Lizotte said when he nominated Cook, according to Lori Ruediger, who works in Rivier's public relations office. Cook's honorary degree citation described his life's work as "testimony to literature's profound power, not as a simple mirror to reflect a single image, but as a kaleidoscope whose countless shards refract a dazzling, complex stained-glass window of human experience." The citation also said "in literature, William Cook not only finds the stuff of which dreams are made, but the stuff of which life is made." It described Cook's diverse teaching career, which has spanned all levels of education, and the diversity of his writing, which includes many published works, scholarly reviews and his edited works. The Trustee's Committee said Cook is the person who best represents the goals of Rivier College, Ruediger said.

News

Oboler talks on labels

By Breeanne Clowdus | May 18, 1994

"Ethnic labels are here to stay," Susan Oboler, Professor of American Civilization and Latino Studies at Brown University, said last night in a speech to about 40 students and professors. "We are here to look at how those labels were shaped, when they were shaped and who shaped them," she continued. Oboler's talk, titled "The Politics of Ethnic Labeling," was part of the continuing series Voices of Diversity.

News

U.S. hurts the earth, Raven says

By Rini Ghosh | May 18, 1994

Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden Peter Raven spoke last night about the impact of U.S. citizens on diminishing natural resources. The speech, titled "Biodiversity: Its Meaning to Us," was the inaugural lecture in the George Link Jr.

News

SA ties up loose ends

By Maggie Fritz | May 18, 1994

With only one meeting left this term, the Student Assembly will try to tie up its loose ends. The Coed Fraternity and Sorority discussion series, which the Assembly started in the fall, will culminate on May 26 with an open debate. The Assembly invited seven leaders of the Greek System and undergraduate societies to participate in a panel examining the question, "Why Aren't People Talking?" Panelists will include Alpha Delta President Chase Arnold '95, Sigma Delta President Adriana McGrath '95, Phi Tau President Rick Mitchell '95, Amarna President John Strayer '96 and Panarchy President Lynn Webster '94. The Assembly also announced a vacant seat in next year's general Assembly that was relinquished by Rukmini Sichitiu '95, who was elected to the positions of vice president and general member last month by students. The nominations committee announced last night the list of students who will serve on the Council of Student Organizations: John Honovich '97, Mayank Keshiviah '97, Carolann Purcell '97, P.

News

Parents weekend moves to fall

By Maggie Lockwood | May 17, 1994

Beginning with the Class of 1999, Freshmen Parents Weekend will move from spring to fall to give parents a preview rather than a showcase of the first-year experience. The change is designed to provide parents with an earlier orientation to life at Dartmouth so they are better able to relate to their son's or daughter's experiences. "It helps parents a lot to get a firsthand glimpse of what their students encounter," Dean of Freshmen Peter Goldsmith said, citing the sophisticated level of classroom instruction as an example. "When things come up [with students], it gives the parents a sense of context," he said. The idea to move the weekend is one Goldsmith brought with him to the College a year ago.

News

Panel talks about Mexican rebel group

By Ranjit Ahluwalia | May 17, 1994

The Chiapas rebellion in Mexico was the theme of a panel discussion yesterday. The discussion, titled "The Chiapas Rebellion and the Political Crisis in Mexico," was held in 3 Rockefeller. The panelists included a political scientist, a Dartmouth professor, and two professors from other institutions. Professor John Coatsworth from Harvard University spoke about the implications of the Chiapas rebellion on Mexican politics. The most far-reaching implication of the rebellion, he said, is that the present administration cannot continue with its economic reforms without moving towards democratization and social equality. Political scientist Neal Harvey stressed that the Chiapas rebellion is symptomatic of a larger rural crisis in Mexico. According to Harvey, the chief reason for the rebellion stems from the reforms of Article 27 of the Mexican constitution, which left thousands of young Natives without land. The rebellion is not a breakaway movement, he said.

News

College students catch few 'Z's

By Jack Vaitayanonta | May 17, 1994

A typical student's life, filled with class schedules, lab reports, dinner dates, athletics, club meetings and socializing, is often deprived of one of the most fundamental activities of all: sleep. The long term effects of sleep deprivation can lead to a decline in performance quality and result in sleeping disorders. "Dartmouth is filled with people who are athletes and student leaders who are leading full lives and socializing.

News

Error changes next year's SA committe

By Maggie Fritz | May 17, 1994

Next year's Student Assembly held a special meeting of the general Assembly to correct two errors that rendered the election of a secretary, treasurer and nominations committee invalid. The special meeting, held Tuesday, elected John Honovich '97 as secretary; Scott Rowekamp '97 as treasurer; and Laura Bennet '96, Brooke Brightly '95, Meredith Epstein '97 and Nina Nho '97 to the nominations committee. The original election, held the preceding week, elected the same members to identical positions with the exception of Brightly, who replaced Della Bennet '96. In the original elections, Assembly Vice President-elect Rukmini Sichitiu '95 was given two votes because she was elected both vice president and a general representative by the student body. But Chair of the Election Advisory Committee Tim Moore later informed Assembly President-elect Danielle Moore '95 that Sichitiu cannot, according to Assembly protocol, have two votes. Moore said the error was caused by her interpretation of a "vague area" in the constitution. The Election Advisory Committee is a group of students and administrators who oversee student elections. The second error resulted from a tie that occurred when the general Assembly voted in members of the nominations committee.

News

Faculty stands firm on ROTC

By Alexander R. Edlich | May 17, 1994

The faculty voted almost unanimously yesterday to reaffirm its stance on the elimination of the College's Reserve Officers' Training Corps program and to invite the Board of Trustees before the entire faculty to explain its decision. The vote, which came at the first of two Faculty of Arts and Sciences meetings scheduled for this term, stemmed from concern that the Trustees never fully explained their decision to continue ROTC after their Spring term meeting in April. At yesterday's two-and-a-half-hour meeting the faculty also heard a proposal from English Professor James Heffernan to create a faculty scholarship to benefit a needy junior or senior. He said 22 professors have already contributed to the fund, bringing the current total to $28,000.

News

Strohbehn named Duke provost

By Alexander R. Edlich | May 16, 1994

Only 10 months after stepping down as the College's provost to return to teaching at the Thayer School of Engineering, John Strohbehn has accepted Duke University's offer to become the school's number-two administrator. On Thursday, Duke announced Strohbehn's appointment as provost after conducting a nation-wide search involving 200 candidates to replace outgoing Thomas Langford. Duke President Nan Keohane appointed Strohbehn, a medical engineer, for a five-year term beginning July 1.

News

Kunin explains book

By Rini Ghosh | May 16, 1994

Deputy Secretary of Education Madeleine Kunin spoke to about 50 students and professors about her reasons for writing her autobiography, titled "Living a Political Life," yesterday afternoon. "I think the feminist side of me felt very strongly that women were going to have to explain their lives if we wanted to be role models," she said. Kunin, a former governor of Vermont, said she wrote the book to "really define myself ... and I did it for the people who asked me, 'How did you get into politics?'" The hardest part of writing the book was "letting go of my public and political persona," she said. Kunin said she did not write the autobiography chronologically because "life isn't necessarily chronological." The book starts by describing the day she decided not to run for governor again, Kunin said.

News

Collis Cafe loses workers, cuts hours

By Maggie Fritz | May 16, 1994

Because of the loss of six employees and amidst complaints of inefficient management and unreasonable work loads, Collis Cafe has been forced to cut back on the hours it will serve entrees and soups. Two full-time employees have quit since April and four student employees have left in the past few weeks. "We've unfortunately had a few people quit in key positions," Manager of Collis Cafe Cynthia Crutchfield said. The cafe now serves entrees and soups between 11 a.m.

News

Move deals College a double loss

By Alexander R. Edlich | May 16, 1994

After having to answer everybody's questions as the Dean of Students Office's "Know-it-all" for 12 years, Associate Dean of Students Barbara Strohbehn will leave this summer to accompany her husband to Duke University. She will depart after Commencement in June to join her husband, who will start as Duke's provost July 1, and look for a new house. Strohbehn said last night she does not know what she will do, including where -- or if -- she wants to work.

News

COS suspends Cook, Robb-Hearing unlike court scene

By Scott Anthony | May 16, 1994

In Thursday's open Committee on Standards hearing, two students were tried, found guilty and sentenced, but that is where the similarities to a courtroom trial end. In fact, the College's internal disciplinary system is very different from a judicial court.

News

COS suspends Cook, Robb-Alcohol, recklessness cited

By Scott Anthony | May 16, 1994

After a rare open Committee on Standards hearing Thursday afternoon, the College suspended Nat Cook '94 for four terms and David Robb '94 for two terms for reckless conduct and providing alcohol to a minor. Cook and Robb explained the COS decision in a press conference Friday afternoon in Beta Theta Pi fraternity, where both are brothers.

News

Black out over Green Key

By Maggie Fritz | May 16, 1994

The 73rd Green Key Weekend at the College was interrupted for more than an hour Saturday because of a power loss that shut down electricity throughout most of the campus. Heavy winds brought down a large pine tree on Greensboro Road that collapsed on 13,000-volt power lines at about 1:30 p.m.. The fallen high voltage power lines ignited a brush fire that burned more than a half-acre, the Valley News reported yesterday. According to an employee at the College power plant, the power lines at Dartmouth are tied to the ones on Greensboro Road. When part of the system collapses, it causes "a voltage spike" that triggers connecting lines to shut down, he said. The power outage caused several College buildings including Baker Library and the Collis Center to lose electricity temporarily. The Swinging Steak, a band performing on the Green that afternoon, was also affected by the power outage. Except for the interruption, most Green Key Weekend events went smoothly.