Tilman Dette / The Dartmouth Staff Several Winter Carnival events and parties left Safety and Security and Hanover Police decidedly busy this long weekend.
While Dartmouth students look forward to Winter Carnival as a momentary escape from academia, Safety and Security and the Hanover Police see a need to gear up for a weekend traditionally made dangerous by heavy drinking and freezing temperatures. "We are concerned because we do anticipate there will be a lot of people consuming alcohol, and this affects people differently in this weather," Kinne said, predicting the weekend high temperature to be around 18 degrees. Up to three Safety and Security foot patrols will be placed strategically around campus to monitor the well being of Dartmouth students during the festivities.
An investigation stemming from the theft of eight Hanover-area parking meters this summer concluded early Friday morning with the arrests of Derik Rogers, 35, and Josie Rogers, 30, who are a couple from Wilder, Vt. The couple is accused of stealing approximately $3,000 in parking meters and lost coin revenues over a five-month period.
Kawakahi Amina / The Dartmouth Staff Fifteen current students and alumni were arrested over Homecoming weekend, many of whom encountered the Hanover Police Department during one of Dartmouth's annual traditions. Nine of the arrests were alcohol -related, while the other six were described as disorderly conduct, according to Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone.
The outgoing leadership of the Student Assembly convened Tuesday night for its final meeting of the academic year to discuss the preliminary findings of the Committee on Standards Task Force and debate several other important resolutions and proposals. Michael Herman '07, a member of the COS Task Force, said that other elite undergraduate institutions' judicial systems, including Harvard University, Princeton University and Stanford University, currently employ more onerous burdens of proof than that of Dartmouth's, which depends on "the preponderance of evidence" argument. "We think it would be a horrible travesty for someone innocent to be found guilty, and we need to weigh this social cost of erroneous decisions in determining the appropriate burden," Herman said. Other members of the task force advocated examining additional ways to increase the transparency of the COS process.
At the final words of the third and last Student Assembly presidential debate, the campaign for Assembly president came to an official close last night, concluding that this year's race would avoid much of the controversy that characterized last year's campaign season. At this time a year ago, the Assembly presidential campaigns of Paul Heintz '06 and Brian Martin '06 were thwarted by serious Elections Planning and Advisory Committee sanctions stemming from negative campaigning conducted via BlitzMail. This year's race, however, has remained relatively quiet, though not entirely without incident.
Jordan Nott's recent lawsuit against George Washington University for forcing him to withdraw from the institution because of suicidal tendencies has focused attention on Dartmouth's own policy on medical privacy in cases of suicide. A day and a half after checking himself into George Washington University Hospital in the fall of 2004, Nott was notified that he had violated the student code of conduct through "endangering behavior," and faced suspension or expulsion. The Dartmouth Student Handbook currently states that "under certain circumstances, the student may be placed on an involuntary medical withdrawal according to procedures on file for review at the College Health Service and in the Office of the Dean of the College." Director of Counseling and Health Resources Mark Reed, however, is confident in Dartmouth's dedication to medical confidentiality. "There is not a direct line between Dick's House and the Dean's Office," he said. While deans may be contacted by the Office of Residential Life, Safety and Security, and Dick's House, "there is currently a lot of flexibility in the Dartmouth system and we can deal with these issues on a case-by-case basis," he said. Reed said that medical professionals look at the seriousness, clarity and consistency of the patient's suicidal thoughts as well as their ability to articulate plans for the future to help determine the seriousness of an issue.
In a lecture last week at Wilder Hall, oil industry expert Paul Nadeau '80 presented research that suggests that 2005 will come to be seen as the global peak in oil production. Citing annual reports of major oil companies, Earth Sciences Professor James Aronson said he agrees with the assessment. "Chevron Texaco has had a decline in their rate of production for the last five years," he said.
The continuing debate concerning the Office of Residential Life's damage policy is reaching a crescendo this week, as residents of South Mass will likely be charged with an ORL restitution fee one week after human feces were found spread on the stalls and toilets of the first-floor bathroom. In the event that no new information arises by the Aug.
After a disappointing 11th place finish at the Eastern Sprints this past May, the Dartmouth men's lightweight crew team is eager for improvement.