News
Layne Moffett / The Dartmouth Senior Staff
Always a time of transition for graduating seniors and for underclassmen saying goodbye to friends, Commencement this year also brings with it a substantial transition for the College and a farewell to one of its top administrators, Dean of the College James Larimore.
As he prepares to leave for a position at Swarthmore, the dean has fond recollections of his time at the College, and is looking forward to his future at another prestigious liberal arts institution.
Although he listed his open office hours for students and his annual visit to the Ravine Lodge during first-year trips as some of his favorite Dartmouth traditions, when pressed, Larimore said he found it difficult to identify a single highest point.
"It is hard for me to pinpoint any single event or thing because this has been seven years of one highlight or fun experience after another," Larimore said.
Larimore came to the College during a period marked by controversy in the wake of attempts to cut funding for the swimming and diving program and the release of the Student Life Initiative, seen by many as an attempt to dismantle the Greek system.
Despite these challenges and a first year fraught with heated debates and dissatisfaction on many counts, Larimore still said he regards his experience as a completely positive one.
On the difficulty of his first few months at the College, he said that the challenges offered a unique opportunity to shape the dean's office and build partnerships among colleagues.
"I arrived here at a time when people were really struggling with each other and where it just seemed that there was a lot that people were worried and upset about," Larimore said.
