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The Dartmouth
December 25, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth
Opinion
Opinion

Ogling Men

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Men check women out, and having discussed this truth with several friends, I have yet to find one male or female willing to say, "Yes, I agree that men like to observe the female body, but I do not think men get condemned for that." Yeah, right -- men are notorious for ogling anything with two breasts, two legs and hips (although hips are not always crucial). You would think from such negativity that every male was a Bill Clinton or hooting construction worker, and since women do not have such a bad reputation, every female must be a Sister Chastity. I hate to admit this, but I check men out.


Opinion

The College's Celebration of 25 Years of Coeducation Has Been Rich and Varied

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To the Editor: I am writing in response to The Dartmouth's erroneous statement that the College's commemoration of the 25th anniversary of coeducation consisted only of publishing a listing of already planned events [The Dartmouth, "Commencement Disappoints," April 3]. In fact, the commemoration began in the fall of 1996 with a number of programs marking the 25th anniversary of the decision to admit women to the College.



Opinion

Farewell to a Voice for Students

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With the departure of Dean of Residential Life Mary Turco today, Dartmouth students are losing one of their most fervent advocates in the administration. Turco's involvement with the College began when she was a graduate student in the early years of Dartmouth's coeducation.


Opinion

Publishing the Article on McMahon's Arrest Did Not Accomplish Anything

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To the Editor: I would challenge The Dartmouth to explain the purpose of printing Monday's article on freshman James McMahon's arrest [The Dartmouth, "Freshman faces child pornography charge," April 6]. While I understand that it is your right to print such a piece, I question what the article accomplished -- and how our community was served -- other than to potentially make miserable the life of a fellow student.


Opinion

People are Racists

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People are racists. Yup, it's true. Even you, the person reading this, are one. It's kind of scary when you think about it -- every time you meet somebody of a different race, you can't help wondering if the other person is seeing a representative of a race or actually you, the person.


Opinion

An Election Without Debate?

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By scheduling student elections for next Wednesday, the Election Advisory Committee has made a judgment error which will have negative consequences. In past years, an interval of up to a month between the announcement of candidates and the date of elections gave the student body time to become acquainted with the candidate pool. Such a time period allowed candidates to reach out to the student body with more effective means than the posters currently decorating dormitory bulletin boards and last night's hastily planned, inadequately advertised and poorly attended Candidate Fair. Without this vital interval between announcements and elections, there is little time for true debate of the crucial issues facing students.



Opinion

Everything Matters

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In response to Adam Siegel's half-hearted attempt to justify academic elitism ["Intellectual Diversity Matters," April 6], I can only congratulate my fellow senior on his willingness to over-rate the educational processes of this country.



Opinion

Pelton's Last Call

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Dean of the College Lee Pelton's new alcohol policies are both a demonstration of Pelton's willingness to compromise and a commendable vote of confidence in the Dartmouth student body. Although the policies may not be popular with all students, they provide the College with a reasonable means of complying with federal and state laws without seriously restricting students' social options. It is obvious that Pelton took student wishes to heart in considering the recommendations of both the College Committee on Alcohol and Other Drugs and the Coed Fraternity and Sorority Council.



Opinion

A Logical Choice for President

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As I walked into Spaulding Auditorium yesterday for the live closed-circuit announcement of the next president of the College, I was thinking that Bill Bradley or Robert Reich would be nice choices, but that James Wright would be the logical choice.


Opinion

The Wright Direction

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The appointment of James Wright to succeed President James Freedman as the sixteenth president of Dartmouth College is both a sensible decision and a resounding endorsement of the College's current path. But the Presidential Search Committee's choice of Wright was not merely a safe and conservative decision, it was also an informed and intelligent one. Wright's selection may not be as exciting as the arrival of fresh blood in Parkhurst would have been, but the stability of an internal appointment provides welcome relief from the College's impending spate of administrative departures. In his 29 years at Dartmouth, Wright has witnessed the College's evolution, both before and during the Freedman era.



Opinion

Here's to Hoping

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In the week following the announcement of James Freedman's resignation as President of Dartmouth College, I penned a column in these pages which, in the spirit of a more conducive environment to student influence in the decision-making processes of the College, expressed the hope that our current "Jimmy-O" would not be replaced by yet another "Jimmy." As yesterday's announcement seemed to jump-start my career as a "prophet of doom," perhaps a closer look at what we might expect from our President-designate is in order. Putting aside, for the moment, James Wright's mention that Dartmouth is, "a research university in all but name," his speech to the community may well have told all of us what the Wright presidency will hold for Dartmouth.




Opinion

Intellectual Diversity Matters

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What do you picture when you think of the word "diversity" as it relates to Dartmouth College? A pony-tailed Native American male and a Caucasian hermaphrodite with purple fingernails meeting for herbal tea in Sanborn?


Opinion

Commencement Disappoints

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The announcement of this year's Commencement speaker, Doris Kearns Goodwin, has left manyDartmouthstudents surprised at both the speaker's identity and at the early date of the decision. The Council on Honorary Degrees should have tried to attract national attention to the College with a noteworthy Commencement speaker to celebrate the 25th anniversary of coeducation. Although Goodwin's merit as a speaker should not be judged according to her name recognition, the decision to have her speak at Commencement offers a weak conclusion to the College's mediocre celebration of coeducation. This year's anniversary festivities has fallen far short of expectations.