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The Dartmouth
October 19, 2026
The Dartmouth
Opinion

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.



Opinion

Beer Olympics

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I spent one Saturday a long while back in the basement of Chi Heorot fraternity. Four of us -- a close female friend of mine and two guy friends -- were talking, just passing the time on an average Dartmouth night out. Suddenly, one of the guys noticed that a Pong table near us was unoccupied.


Opinion

Printing Errors

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Kiewit's decision to collate documents from the public printers only on the half-hour is both unreasonable and unnecessary. The new policy is unfair to students, whose class schedules are hardly compatible with 30-minute intervals.


Opinion

A Time to Relax

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Burnout. This is not a word you really want to hear during the first week of classes. This term should be reserved for that horrible period of life called finals.


Opinion

Best for Whom?

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Why Not The Best?" is the title of a book by former President Jimmy Carter; it is also the rallying cry for an increasing number of students who inquire about "best" lists when seeking employment or applying to graduate schools.


Opinion

Spreading Government Propaganda

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Propaganda is everywhere, brainwashing and conditioning our minds. It may be as benign as a commercial for the newest soda or it may be as malicious as governments conditioning the minds of children.


Opinion

Social Class Justification

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Human nature takes comfort in justifying the unjustifiable. When the snake in the Garden of Eden lured Adam and Eve to the knowledge of good and evil, God gave back the ability to rationalize.


Opinion

A Touch of Class

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It's that time of year again, Dartmouthians! You've chosen your spring courses, and now it's time to go bother the people in the Registrar's office until they let you completely change plans.


Opinion

A Time For Initiative

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The impending departure of two more vital administrators enlarges the leadership vacuum currently plaguing the College. College Vice President and Treasurer Lyn Hutton and Dean of Residential Life Mary Turco add to a growing number of administrators who will soon be replaced under the leadership of a new president. Oddly enough, the administration is turning over more rapidly than the student body.



Opinion

Face to Face

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The recent tragedy of the school yard shootings in Arkansas has lead me to think about criminal acts in our society.