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The Dartmouth
April 19, 2026
The Dartmouth
Opinion
Opinion

Peters: Sanders' Money Problem

By William Peters | January 25, 2016

The fiery rhetoric of Bernie Sanders has set ablaze the hearts of young voters across the country. The Vermont senator’s strategy of late has been to target the current campaign finance system, a product of the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which affirms the rights of non-profits to spend on candidates’ behalf. Sanders points to current campaign finance structures as the cause of the majority of our nation’s ills. Sanders argues that if elected officials were not so focused on fundraising, they would be far better legislators. He wants to revolutionize our political system, eliminating the ability of big banks, Wall Street and Super PACs to “buy” candidates and elections. While this may be the best vision for our country, realistically, it is unlikely to happen anytime soon, even if Sanders were to be elected.

Opinion

Fishbein: An Unhealthy Obsession

By Dan Fishbein | January 25, 2016

If you had seen me this past Sunday afternoon, you might have thought that I was in need of serious medical attention. I sweated profusely, my hands shook and my heartbeat reached levels it hadn’t attained even during my earlier gym. My New England Patriots — whose star quarterback Tom Brady has been the subject of my idolization for the entirety of my conscious memory — were trailing their rivals the Denver Bronocs, led by Brady’s rival Peyton Manning, 20–12 with just about six minutes to go in the AFC Championship. As the Patriots’ season ultimately slipped away and we failed to go to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row, I felt devastated.

Opinion

Sharma: Reining in the Networking

By Hansa Sharma | January 24, 2016

My friends often joke that I spend more time socializing in the KAF line than I do actually getting my order. KAF London Fogs are just as addictive as good company, and unfortunately, my friends have a point. With so much to get done, I’ve had to set clear start and end times for socializing. In these first few weeks of winter term, I’ve become increasingly dependent on my phone calendar. In these first few weeks of winter term, I’ve become increasingly dependent on my phone calendar. Previously, it was just a tool to keep track of midterms and vacation days. Now, it’s also littered with lunch and coffee dates. As Dartmouth students, we often feel pressure to balance working hard with playing hard.

Opinion

Chun: Hot Chocolate and Low Expectations

By Steven Chun | January 24, 2016

Winter is the season of doing nothing. Squirrels, hedgehogs, bears and even a kind of lemur recognize this and go into long periods of hibernation. In his article “In Case of Blizzard, Do Nothing,” David Dudley writes, “A snowstorm rewards indolence and punishes the go-getters, which is only one of the many reasons it’s the best natural disaster there is.” Winter term can feel like a 10-week blizzard, but with an intense lineup of classes and extracurriculars to accompany it. And, due to some great evolutionary tragedy, we do not hibernate. In fact, despite the pitfalls of the season, Dartmouth students seem to believe they can beat nature. I, too, thought I could outlast the season. It was a terrible idea.

Opinion

Chin: An Invisible Color Line

By Clara Chin | January 21, 2016

Most people, I find, are happy just to have a day off. The six most common paid holidays among businesses in the United States are New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day and Christmas Day. Not on the list, however is the government holiday Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is acknowledged by some non-federal businesses and private schools, including Dartmouth. The College offered several King related events this week, including a speech by Rev. Leah Daughtry ’84 and a student panel on studying abroad. Despite the many events and opportunities, they weren’t very well publicized, my residence hall’s attempts to attend an event as a floor were unsuccessful, and some students still had to attend labs. While it is good that the College as a whole acknowledges Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the lack of follow-through demonstrates apathy about the holiday both on campus and in the U.S. in general.

Opinion

Albrecht: Diversity in Action

By Emily Albrecht | January 18, 2016

Eight years have passed since Abigail Fisher introduced her case against the University of Texas at Austin’s admission policies, and yet, we are all still waiting to hear the latest verdict from the Supreme Court regarding affirmative action. Though UT Austin’s policies have previously been found to be consistent with the guidelines set out in Grutter v. Bollinger — essentially, that race-conscious admissions policies are legal — the Fisher case still has supporters of race-based affirmative action biting their nails.

Opinion

Goldstein: The Dearth of News

By Matthew Goldstein | January 18, 2016

If one of our goals as a student population is to receive consistent, complete, ideologically neutral and change-making news, we are failing miserably. There are, right now, two sources of news on campus: The Dartmouth and The Dartmouth Review. Neither is consistent — one in publication, the other in quality. Neither is complete — both are missing vital features a vibrant and informative newspaper should have. Neither is ideologically neutral. Neither changes the world around it. Today is the day we must hasten the end of this trend, and forge a new path forward in campus news.

Opinion

VERBUM: A Good Start

By The Dartmouth Editorial Board | January 14, 2016

Last week, the newly established Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives released its first annual report on faculty diversity, which discusses the office’s work in recruiting, retaining and supporting underrepresented minority faculty. Their stated goal is to increase URM faculty from 16 percent to 25 percent by 2025, which would require the hiring of about 60 new minority faculty members. The college has set aside $22.5 million in endowment funds to support URM recruitment and retention. This comes at a time where diversity on campuses has been prominent in the national consciousness, with a great deal of airtime being dedicated to racial issues at colleges around the country, including our own. While we view faculty diversity initiatives as a crucial step in the right direction, there are others who believe that these kinds of initiatives are not only unnecessary, but also wasteful of the College’s funds.

Opinion

Szuhaj: Social Networks, Social World

By Ben Szuhaj | January 14, 2016

I visited my old high school over break and found that some changes had been made. Most notably, the administration had recently enacted a rule banning all cellphones from school, not only during class time but also during free periods and off-hours. Some teachers were so eager to enforce this rule that one even tried to take mine from me while I was on campus. I politely informed her that I was an adult with all the accompanying privileges. Still, she seemed wary and eyed me with suspicion, which got me thinking: Is banning cellphones a productive policy?

Opinion

Ghavri: The Death of Peaceful Protests?

By Anmol Ghavri | January 13, 2016

On January 2, self-proclaimed “militiamen” took over the federally-owned Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. The cause of this federal property takeover can be traced back to the imprisonment of two cattlemen for arson, father and son — Dwight Hammond, Jr., 73, and his son Steve, 46.

Opinion

Hsu: Why We Shouldn't Call Her "Hillary"

By Caroline Hsu | January 13, 2016

People often refer to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as simply “Hillary.” Whereas her male counterparts are rarely, if ever, identified by their first names. How often do you hear people say “Ted” instead of “Ted Cruz,” or “Jeb” instead of “Jeb Bush?” Apparently, Americans know Hillary Clinton well enough to be on a first name basis with her.

Opinion

Gil: You're Not Hired!

By Michelle Gil | January 12, 2016

There was one positive to my trip to see Donald Trump’s rally in Claremont, New Hampshire, last week: I got a free pin emblazoned with Trump’s face and the words “Haters Gonna Hate.” Unfortunately, that nifty souvenir did not make up for having to listen to Trump alternatively stroke his own ego, insult all the other presidential candidates and make racist comments. Much like his campaign up until this point, the rally was all pomp and no substance. Despite Donald Trump’s own opinion of himself, I really do not believe him to be the interloper messiah – come to save politics from itself – that so many Republicans are making him out to be.

Opinion

Beechert: A Dangerous Game

By Michael Beechert | January 12, 2016

I don’t exactly look forward to the beginning of the new year. The excitement of the Christmas season is over, classes and homework assignments start to make appearances on the daily agenda after a long period of absence, and Mother Nature promises at least three months of gray skies and freezing temperatures. One thing, however, brings a smile to my face and a spring to my step: the NFL playoffs. Even though God has apparently condemned my beloved New York Jets to eternal mediocrity, there’s nothing quite like tuning in every Saturday and Sunday to see football’s best slug it out on the path to the Super Bowl.

Opinion

Solomon: Sharp Scalpel, Weak Painkillers

By Ioana Solomon | January 11, 2016

Today, President Barack Obama will give his final State of the Union address. He will likely reflect with pride on how far we have come as a nation and call our attention to the even longer road ahead. He will speak about our revival following the still-recent global financial crisis, about these past eight years’ political milestones and about the pervasive violence and hatred that have yet to be eradicated. He will also likely use his last months of administrative influence and political capital to urge Congress to pursue the legislative initiatives he wishes to see implemented after he leaves office. Among these initiatives is the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Opinion

Fishbein: The Atrocity of Indifference

By Daniel Fishbein | January 11, 2016

Over winter break, I had the privilege of visiting Israel for ten days as part of a Birthright trip to bring Jewish young adults to their biblical homeland. On this trip, my group visited Yad Vashem, the Israeli national Holocaust museum dedicated to the six million Jews who died in the genocide. Along with the graphic footage of Auschwitz-Birkenau and death marches, one aspect of the museum that really struck me was the story of the MS St. Louis, a boat that carried 937 Jewish refugees from Hamburg, Germany to off of the coast of Florida in 1939. Upon arrival there, the United States government, under the Immigration Act of 1924 which restricted immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe, denied entry to the passengers, whose trip is now known as the “Voyage of the Damned.” With no place left to go, the boat was forced to head back to Europe. Historians now estimate that a quarter of its passengers ultimately became Holocaust victims.

Opinion

Chun: Gently into that Good Night

By Steven Chun | January 10, 2016

This break I had the distinct pleasure of considering the various ways I could become legally incapacitated. As part of granting my parents power of attorney, I was forced to consider several grave scenarios. My reasons for doing so were fairly simple — not only do my parents have my best interests at heart, but they’re also uniquely well-suited for the task, as both of them are doctors.

Opinion

Sharma: Gambling on the Poor

By Hansa Sharma | January 10, 2016

Purchasing a lottery ticket at the neighborhood bodega the moment you hit 18 is just as much of a rite of passage and a sign of adulthood as getting your driver’s license. State lotteries and casinos are open only to adults, largely for the same reasons. Like cigarettes and alcohol, lottery tickets are a potential gateway to addiction.

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