An open letter to the Class of 2017 (and response to the Dimensions protest)

<p>T26E4-
Your link is to this thread. What is the correct link?</p>

<p>jym: my post #12 is here b/c two threads were merged. It should have been deleted</p>

<p>Seahorsesrock, you have to understand that the “threats” were on the peurile, anonymous bulletin board <a href=“mailto:bored@baker”>bored@baker</a>. This does not make them acceptable <strong>in the least</strong>–in fact, I would say that 99% of what goes on on b@b is worthless and/or revolting-- context does affect whether they are something to be frightened by.</p>

<p>This is the same place that has also made history when students elected Tim Andreadis as the first openly gay person to hold the office of student body president</p>

<p>[Out</a>, and leading, at Dartmouth - The Boston Globe](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/05/09/out_and_leading_at_dartmouth/?page=2]Out”>http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/05/09/out_and_leading_at_dartmouth/?page=2)</p>

<p>I think everyone who uses CC needs to do a reality check every now and then when it comes to what gets posted. First of all, anyone can claim to be an alum of any school, allege that certain things happened to them or a “friend”, etc. The first thing any Ivy prospect needs to understand is that “just saying it doesn’t make it so.” We all need to question and wonder about whether a poster is legit, may have an agenda, etc. – that is a key aspect of the critical thinking skills you will need to develop to succeed. You also have to wonder why an alum at a top school wouldn’t transfer out early if the school is so miserable. Certainly, many options for transfer would be available to a current Ivy student. I was always taught that to stay put in a miserable situation and to make sure everyone hears how miserable you are in a school, job, marriage, etc. says more about you than it does about your situation. Enuf said! Sure there are bad things that happen at every school; none is perfect. As gay-friendly as Vassar is, there was a gay hate message posted in the last week at the Vassar LGBT office – Vassar is the place where Westboro Baptist just protested, calling it a haven for gays! Williams had the “N” word scrawled on a dorm bulletin board in the last year. Amherst has the “rape” scandal. We could go on and on. The point is that no school is perfect (Welcome to the real world). You need to assess what the school will offer you, while giving due consideration to what you perceive to be the weak points. If you are looking for the perfect school where nothing bad ever happens to anyone, stay home, because that school doesn’t exist.</p>

<p>I think Little Green Blog said it extremely well today: [The</a> Little Green Blog: The Dimensions Protest I wish I?d seen](<a href=“http://thelittlegreenblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-dimensions-protest-i-wish-id-seen.html]The”>http://thelittlegreenblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-dimensions-protest-i-wish-id-seen.html)</p>

<p>@cavilier

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<p>I did not write this post. See the sentences preceding the actual post:</p>

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<p>I saw this post on Facebook and decided to share it here in order to spark discussion. I am actually an incoming freshman and I was at Dimensions a couple weekends ago; I agree with Ivylogue’s daughter’s account of the protest and it was a very minor event.</p>

<p>Couldn’t have asked for a better place to send my S for four years! Amazing opportunities to challenge academically, small enough to enjoy leadership positions with much support from administration even financially if a student wishes to attend a conference,meeting,etc. Academic advising, great support for those needing extra assistance… Not to mention the beautiful surroundings, opportunities for outdoor
pursuits,visiting artists, the outing club trips…the list goes on and on and on. It is no surprise that Dartmouth has endured for nearly 250 years as a top institution for higher learning.</p>

<p>“Amazing opportunities to challenge academically, small enough to enjoy leadership positions with much support from administration even financially if a student wishes to attend a conference,meeting,etc. Academic advising, great support for those needing extra assistance… Not to mention the beautiful surroundings, opportunities for outdoor
pursuits,visiting artists, the outing club trips…the list goes on and on and on.” </p>

<p>That is all true; but there’s much more to the story, too. Just read “The Dartmouth” from the past few days.</p>

<p>This is an excellent essay by a current Dartmouth student on the recent events on campus and his overall experience at Dartmouth. </p>

<p>[TheDartmouth.com:</a> TTLG: Defining My Own Dartmouth](<a href=“http://thedartmouth.com/2013/05/03/mirror/ttlg]TheDartmouth.com:”>http://thedartmouth.com/2013/05/03/mirror/ttlg)</p>

<p>This has been an interesting series of posts on the recent goings on at Dartmouth. I just attended First Year Family Weekend, which, overall was quite impressive. More importantly, we were able to see our '16 relishing all that Dartmouth offers. SO many choices, and such great academics. He has formed great bonds with his professors and fellow students; it’s hard to believe it’s only been 9 months.</p>

<p>Re: Fraternities and Sororities. We attended a speech/presentation by Carol Folt, outgoing president. Many parents asked questions about the Dimensions protest and aftermath. While a lot of what she said about the protestors seemed to be a whitewash or an apologist’s overview, she did acknowledge several times how the student leaders of the fraternities and sororities were thoughtful, active participants in the programming that took place instead of classes. She also said that she and Charlotte Johnson are unfairly labelled as wanting to disband the greek system. She said they are both supporters of the system. The one question that threw her off was when a dad put forth the notion that the B@B postings were written by protestor supporters, i.e. to draw addtional attention to their cause. She said there was no proof of that and that they had determined that some of the postings happened while the Dimensions event/protest was going on…oops.</p>

<p>What impressed me was the broad student participation in the cancelled class day’s events, whether or not they disagreed with the protesters or their methods. Dartmouth has some work to do in all the areas of concern so we are pleased that at least good dialogue among the students has continued.</p>

<p>Folt and Johnson must somehow feel they have to ‘support’ the ‘Greek system.’</p>

<p>Because this is what faculty say:</p>

<p>“This culture of violence is, to a large degree although not exclusively, based in the Greek system. It contributes to the verbal and physical harassment of women, LGBT people, and people of color on this campus. It is responsible for many instances of sexual assault and rape.”</p>

<p>[Dartmouth</a> Hazing Faculty Letter](<a href=“Dartmouth Hazing Faculty Letter | PDF | Dartmouth College | Fraternities And Sororities”>Dartmouth Hazing Faculty Letter | PDF | Dartmouth College | Fraternities And Sororities)</p>

<p>wait a minute, there are over 1,000 members of the Dartmouth faculty (tenured and not) and only 105 signed the letter? Really? Not sure you have made a convincing point here. I don’t disagree with what is said by this group, just the proposition that “this is what faculty say…”</p>

<p>Faculty sign on to such letters at some risk to themselves, given the political climate on campus.</p>

<p>If you can find more than a single member of the Dartmouth faculty who has ever spoken up in favor of the “Greek system,” maybe the other side might have a case.</p>

<p>Long on emotion and short on facts and careful argument, this letter signed by (a fraction of) the faculty sets a poor example for the students. Most strikingly, it blames the Dartmouth Greek System for problems that exist in equal measure at peer schools that have abolished or never had to the same degree fraternities or sororities.</p>

<p>Yeah, what do a few dozen professors, from nearly every academic discipline, many of whom have taught at the College for decades, know?</p>

<p>DartmouthAlum, how did you ever get accepted to Dartmouth, assuming you aren’t a ■■■■■? If someone’s taught for decades, they are probably tenured, which means they have no fear of much, so “speaking out” has little personal risk. You should know better . Perhaps they resent the fact that they never got into the frat they dreamed of. The point is that, just like you, everyone has an agenda, including the 10% who supposedly speak for the “faculty”.</p>

<p>And your challenge to name a member of the Dartmouth faculty who has spoken out in favor of the frats is a hollow one to support your inherent premise. We don’t ask for the majority of U. S. citizens to step forward to voice support of our American democracy to validate our accepted system of government just because someone speaks foolishly on some point. Where did you really go to college, assuming you do have a college education?</p>

<p>@ivylogue. Well at least he is abiding by CCs rules by not attacking individuals with sarcastic and belittling posts. He stays on point and offers his opinions and perceptions.</p>

<p>I suspect DartmouthAlum can defend his/her own views, if defensible. Perhaps you should re-read some on DartmouthAlum’s comments before you use a word like “belittle” to describe anyone else’s comments.</p>