Blabberforce takes Dartmouth's brand into own hands
Its name sounds like the kind of sarcastic epithet critics might concoct. But members of the Blabberforce, an informal collection of students and administrators intent on creating a more definable image for Dartmouth, describe their efforts with the sincerity and idealism that they say only befits a school this impressive. The question of Dartmouth's image has been a recurring debate in the College's history -- whether it be discussing the extent to which the 1970s slapstick film "Animal House" accurately represents the school or sparring over whether the College's administration wants to emphasize Dartmouth as a research, rather than a so-called teaching, institution. But the Blabberforce, which after less than a term in existence boasts nearly 90 members, including top administrators, says that pinning down a coherent image is the first step -- and that its primary concern is celebrating what makes Dartmouth great, rather turning it into an imitation of the more well-known Harvard, Yale or Princeton. "The Blabberforce isn't here to transform the College into a university," member Brent Reidy '05 said.