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Trends show cheating on the rise in U.S.

By Julia Levy | February 24, 2000

Dartmouth students implicated in the College's recent computer science cheating scandal are not alone -- cheating has been on the rise nationally since about 1960, and the problem has only intensified as computers have been integrated into curriculums. Although cheating and the issues that surround it come up at schools across the country every term, none of the schools -- both inside and outside of the Ivy League -- that talked to The Dartmouth reported a cheating scandal on par with the one Dartmouth is currently facing. Even oversees universities have been touched by incidents.

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Asian Council creates assault comm.

By Ritika Nandkeolyar | February 24, 2000

Last week self-identified Asian and Asian-American undergraduate women received a letter from the chairs of the new Pan Asian Council Sexual Assault Committee with information about the organization and disturbing statistics about sexual assault on campus. Last year, Asian and Asian American women reported 30 percent of cases to the Sexual Abuse Awareness Program coordinator Susan Marine, despite the fact that this group composes only 12.3 percent of undergraduate women at the College. According to the letter, the PAC committee was founded to deal with the fact that demographic statistics "reflect that a disproportionately large percentage of alleged sexual abuse cases at Dartmouth have been reported by Asian or Asian-American women." Marine said she started tracking statistics three years ago after she had noticed that there were a disproportionate number of Asian and Asian-American women who reported incidents of alleged sexual abuse. The statistics reflect that there is something about the dynamics, how Asian women are viewed or not viewed on campus, Marine said. "With other major ethnic groups -- Euro-American, African-American and Native Americans -- the reporting was roughly proportionate," Marine said, adding that Hispanic students tended to have a proportionately low reporting rate. Marine and others contacted for this article said that they were unsure as to what this dynamic is, and hope that the discussion facilitated by the committee will explore the meaning and interpretation of the statistics. In 1996-1997 students reported 20 cases of sexual assault or rape, six cases of attempted sexual assault or rape, 14 cases of unwanted of sexual contact and six cases of relationship domestic abuse to Marine. Asian and Asian-American women reported 40 percent of those cases, Marine said. In 1997-1998 Asian and Asian-American women reported 37 percent of 27 cases of sexual assault or rape, one case of attempted assault or rape, 17 cases unwanted sexual contact and five cases of relationship domestic abuse. In the earlier years, Marine only defined Asian students as those who were East Asian -- members of the Korean, Japanese and Chinese communities.

News

Groups release report responses

By Ithan Peltan | February 24, 2000

As Friday's deadline for the submission of responses to last month's steering committee report approaches, a wide variety of campus organizations are preparing to present their views and opinions to the Student Response Task Force. Panhell The Panhellenic Council issued its response to the Student Life Initiative Recommendations yesterday, focusing on the proposals that, if implemented, would most affect sororities. Panhell President Alex Kremer '01 said the committee that wrote the group's response agreed for the most part with the Trustee's ideas and wanted to find a way to achieve them effectively within the sorority system. The group's report supported requiring a Sexual and Drug Abuse Peer Advisor and a UGA to live in each house, but that the UGA be a member of the house and that an Eating Disorders Advisor also be required. The organization also approved of the idea for an integrated rush period, but felt that it should continue to occur during Fall term and be followed by a term-long "new member period." "The new member period is not about a sorority testing its new members but rather about the new members testing the sorority," Panhell's report said. Other modifications to the steering committee's proposals Panhell recommended include reviewing of the Coed Fraternity Sorority organizations individually rather than as a group, the continuation of summer residence in Greek houses and the creation of a seventh sorority to meet demand. Zeta Psi Zeta Psi fraternity's response, released earlier this week, examined much of the Initiative report point by point. Zete's nearly 40-page response "tried to highlight student choice and really improving continuity," President Matt Kuhn '01 said. "I would say that we agreed a lot with the ideas and with the spirit of the original report," Kuhn said. Echoing an idea found in the Panhell response, Zete recommended the creation of social ties between Greek and affinity houses, administrators and faculty. Zete's response suggested that house members rather than community members be trained as College certified bartenders citing liability issues and a lack of non-students willing to do the job. Also put forth was an alternative housing assignment system that was discussed during conversations the Zete committee had with the Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman. In the proposed system, students would receive housing lottery numbers as they do now, but would have a chance to choose a room in their assigned cluster first if they wanted to remain.

News

DOC poll shows support for Robo home

By Rebecca Holub | February 24, 2000

In a recent survey sent to the nearly 1,200 members of the Dartmouth Outing Club, a large majority of respondents said they believe the DOC should continue to occupy its current location in Robinson Hall, despite plans by the Centerbrook architects to relocate their offices. Two-hundred students responded to the survey questions. Centerbrook proposed the movement after evaluating current and spatial needs of the DOC and the Outdoor Programs Office.

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Housing crunch may leave 26 homeless

By Jeffrey Tanenhaus | February 23, 2000

For the first time in the College's modern history, it is becoming increasingly likely that not all enrolled students will be given Spring term housing this year. Currently, the Office of Residential Life will not be able to accommodate 26 enrolled students on-campus for the Spring term, Director of Housing Services Lynn Rosenblum said.

News

Partial dorm smoking ban finalized

By Jeffrey Tanenhaus | February 23, 2000

The College is moving ahead with previously reported plans to ban smoking in the new East Wheelock building and the Ripley/Woodward/Smith cluster starting this fall, according to Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman. These residence halls were chosen because the East Wheelock dorm, recently named McCulloch Hall, will be brand new and renovations in Rip/Wood/Smith are scheduled for this summer, Redman said. Currently, Butterfield Hall is the only designated non-smoking residence hall, although it is labeled as substance-free housing, a ban that also includes alcohol.

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SA approves plan for poll on SLI response

By Mike A. Hamilton | February 23, 2000

After spirited debate, the Student Assembly last night voted 40-8 to pass a resolution for an online referendum to gather student input on the Assembly's Initiative response report before it is submitted to the Trustees in its final form. The referendum, which will be made available on the "Basement" election website beginning April 10, will ask students to vote on specific details in the Assembly's proposal rather than comment on the report as a whole. Changes made to the Assembly's report due to the results of the poll would be voted on by the Assembly before being executed. However, "all information, regardless of outcome, will be passed on to the Trustees," Assembly Vice President Margaret Kuecker '01 told the Dartmouth after the meeting. The Assembly plans to submit a preliminary proposal directly to the Student Response Task Force by its Friday deadline.

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'Chat' focuses on grad student life

By Jeremy Skog | February 22, 2000

Discussion at last night's fireside chat in Collis Commonground focused on graduate student issues including social life and interactions between students and faculty. Social space was the first issue addressed by the more than 60 people in attendance -- a mix of undergraduates, graduate students, and professors. One graduate student pointed out that there was very little funding for social events while others noted that there was no space for graduate students to meet.

News

Munshi speaks on Indian media

By Jennifer Thomas | February 22, 2000

Dr. Shoma Munshi, research fellow at the University of Amsterdam, spoke on the topic of "Media, Consumers, and Identity in South Asia" yesterday, characterizing contemporary Indian media as embracing both traditional and Western values. Munshi explained that the dual purpose of her address was "to look at the complex nature of contemporary cultural identity and the role of the visual media industries -- in particular in advertising and films." Munshi feels that the recent liberalization of the Indian economy, particularly over the past 10 years, has led to vast changes in urban "mediascape." Indian economic growth in so-called "I.C.E." industries -- infotech, communications, and electronics -- has helped to promote the recent media barrage. Fifteen years ago, only two television channels were available in India, both in black and white.

News

College accepts GLBT donation

By Nathan B. Anderson | February 22, 2000

A gathering of more than 50 people in Sanborn Library's Wren Room greeted the official announcement of Dartmouth's acceptance of $250,000 for the improvement of campus conditions for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students yesterday afternoon. The assets have been managed for the past 15 years under the off-campus Edward Carpenter Memorial Foundation after the College rejected three offers by the fund's benefactor, the late Dr. Ralph Elias '32, in the early 1980s. The previous donation attempts were declined because "the College, then still defining its policies on sexual minorities, felt unable to accept money so specifically designated," according to the event's program. The fund initially struggled to gain official acceptance by the College, due to the reigning attitudes of "homophobia and heterosexism" during those years, English professor and Carpenter Trustee Peter Saccio said. Turning the funds over to the College represents the latest milestone in an on-going fight to improve GLBT conditions at Dartmouth, Coordinator of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Advocacy and Programming, Pam Misener said. This latest step toward equality has been the culmination of an unprecedented decade of progress, and "echoes the development of society in general," Saccio said. College President James Wright, who was on hand to accept the donation, said, "Much really has happened this past decade." "But the process can never be complete, we're meeting the challenge to bring policy and practice closer together, but we still need to keep our aspirations ahead of reality," Wright said. Associate Dean of the Faculty for the Humanities Barry Scherr also attended the ceremony and spoke briefly to elaborate on how the money might be spent. Scherr said that half of the sum would be under his direction as dean and would be dedicated to Dartmouth's ideals of teaching.

News

Some Greeks rethink decision to join houses

By Rachel Osterman | February 21, 2000

When Emily Cullen '00 decided to pledge the Alpha Xi Delta sorority, she was looking for an environment that would provide her with a solid social foundation. "I was concerned that sophomore and junior year a lot of my good friends would have different off-terms, and so I thought being in a sorority would give me a good social base," she said. After a term-and-a-half of membership, however, Cullen decided that she no longer wanted to be in the sorority. She explained, "I think the amount of drinking bothered me a lot.

News

Timorese rebel recalls his past

By Ritika Nandkeolyar | February 21, 2000

Constancio Pinto was 12 years old when Indonesian forces invaded his home country of East Timor in 1975. Like many others, Pinto said he felt a "spontaneous" nationalist reaction against the invasion and subsequent occupation and joined the Timorese resistance movement. "I felt a responsibility to protect my country and my right to self-determination," he said.

News

Bush beats McCain in S.C. primary

By Ritika Nandkeolyar | February 21, 2000

Presidential hopeful Texas Governor George W. Bush decisively defeated his main rival, Arizona Senator John McCain, in the South Carolina Republican primary Saturday in a victory that reestablished him as the party front-runner and could have major implications for primaries in other states. McCain had hoped to capitalize on his Feb.

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Princeton considers expanding student body

By Rachel Osterman | February 21, 2000

In a move that has caused considerable controversy on its campus, Princeton University is considering expanding the size of its student body by 10 percent, possibly the most significant change since the university became coeducational. The recommendation is to gradually increase the student body from 4,600 to 5,100 members, which, if approved, would not be implemented before the construction of necessary dormitory facilities.

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Dwyer resigns from CS4 teaching position

By Andrew Marnell | February 21, 2000

In the wake of the cheating scandal in Computer Science 4 visiting professor Rex Dwyer announced Friday evening he will no longer be teaching the class after students reported that he stormed out of class on Friday afternoon.

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