<p>Bay runner, no one is on the side of racists, homophobes and racists. Please understand that the vast majority of people associated with Dartmouth are upstanding citizens. Yes, we all agree that there are issues and they should be addressed. What is upsetting is the way Dartmouth adminstration is handling this. The protestors violated Dartmouth’s code of conduct. Everyone agrees that these are serious issues. They are not just issues at one school, but in society. The vast majority of the student body are wonderful, intelligent, inclusive, plain nice kids. I love Dartmouth, and what I am reading is not the Dartmouth I know. The majority of the comments are defending Dartmouth, as both students and alumni feel strongly that a very small vocal group are making claims that are not true of the overall student body. And on an anonymous board, it is possible that things are falsely posted to stir things up.</p>
<p>@dumbo. point well taken. I know that Dartmouth is a good place. My Godson is graduating this year and loved it. But it seems there are real issues that need to be addressed otherwise the student protesters would not have done what they did, and instead of focusing on what I think are very important social issues, the comments I read are about protocol and entitlement. I have to think there is a bit of denial going on in that community and the alumni and parents are not helping. Just my outsider’s perception from reading the articles about what happened.</p>
<p>Bayrunner, I think the issue is that the student body feels the 12 or so protestors are being given special treatment. The students who planned the Dimensions show put a lot of time and effort into ensuring a successful program, and it was ruined (against the code of conduct). While we all agree that these issues should be addressed, and we are glad to see steps being taken, this whole thing has been grossly mishandled. The administration has lost the confidence of the student body, the alumns, even a lot of the faculty. Everyone is thrilled that the new president will be there soon. On a positive note, my D attended the seminars and breakout sessions today, and she felt they were enlightening and very interesting. Real progress could be made here, but it sure would help if the students believed everyone was being held to the same standard of conduct. From what I heard, the protestors did have a forum during dimensions to relate their experiences. Overall, though, I’m very sad about this whole thing. Dartmouth is a wonderful community, and most of its attendees have very positive experiences there. I’m hoping positive change comes from all of this.</p>
<p>"[A] very small vocal group are making claims that are not true of the overall student body …" Yes. And, an equally small vocal group (whether or not they overlap is kind of irrelevant) is posting crap on a website that is notorious for offensive posts – and those posts (as well as equally juvenile comments at the D and elsewhere) apparently are somehow being perceived by the administration as precluding any criticism of the original protestors. It’s that last part that is driving me crazy and wondering if there is an adult in charge. </p>
<p>My guesses: Folt is probably looking forward to getting out of town without anyone setting fire to anything (I mean figuratively). Johnson probably knows she’s getting her walking papers as of June 10. The people who should be taking a stand won’t. This is sad for Dartmouth and especially sad for the 13s whose senior year should be marked by joy rather than chaos, but I can and will choose to hope that the mustached guy with glasses will turn things around. I only wish he were presiding over commencement this year. I’m going to have a hard time listening to “she who never should have been even an interim president” (apologies to Rumpole).</p>
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<p>Yes, exactly. I used to actually read B@B a few years ago. It always displayed the worst traits of an anonymous bulletin board, and I think that most students–certainly my S–took a dim view of it. (BTW, there are versions of it for various other schools, all with the main library name: bored@X) It mostly seemed to be the hangout of a certain type of adolescent male, and I use the word adolescent advisedly. This is the same type of thing you see crawling out from under a rock in almost every internet comment section. Yeah, B@B is a boil that needed lancing, but only NOW it is being taken seriously? The earlier victims might wonder why it wasn’t taken seriously when they were being stereotyped and attacked. Well, better late than never.</p>
<p>It is my understanding that the protesters actually physically knocked down the person who was checking wristbands at the door. I think that has something to do with the feeling on the part of many that they are receiving special treatment. If the roles had been reversed, wouldn’t the protesters be screaming assault?</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong: I think that the issues they raised are important ones, and I’m glad that they are being addressed. I also KNOW that they are important on many, if not most, campuses in all locations. Anyone who denies that hasn’t been paying attention. (Sally, I don’t know where you get what you seem to think is your special inside authoritative knowledge of Dartmouth. Care to enlighten us?) It is unfortunate that whenever a community that aspires to higher standards engages in self-criticism, some people are happy to leap in and instead of honoring their desire to improve claim that they are somehow unique in having the problems they wish to address. </p>
<p>There was an opinion piece in The D that I thought was really good:</p>
<p>[TheDartmouth.com:</a> Pellowski: Get Mad](<a href=“http://thedartmouth.com/2013/04/24/opinion/pellowski]TheDartmouth.com:”>http://thedartmouth.com/2013/04/24/opinion/pellowski)</p>
<p>To hold the protesting students accountable for the code of conduct they signed on to is not blaming the victims. This is not a valid connection. If the protesters were held responsible for their infringement of other students’ rights, it’s likely the ‘silent majority’ would be much more attentive and supportive of their concerns. More specifically, the perceived special treatment would not be such a distraction.</p>
<p>Those who posted the terrible comments on b@b should certainly be held accountable and we should all acknowledge the presence of intolerance/bigotry on many campuses, including Dartmouth. I hope this group of protestors is open to learning more effective ways to advocate for themselves, including how to build support instead of resentment among fellow students.</p>
<p>consolation, that is a good article, as it intelligently addresses all of the issues, and is not black or white in it’s thinking.</p>
<p>I agree it is a good article. However, in the end, this is the sentence that most concerns me as a parent:</p>
<p>Angry, because the highly-reduced and shameful lesson of Friday’s fallout is this: our community is happy to be enraged by great rudeness, yet functionally apathetic, even tolerant, to real evil.</p>
<p>I would do anything to go to Dartmouth. Who cares about the partying culture; </p>
<p>a- every school has a party dark side</p>
<p>b- nobody is forcing anybody to party or join greek life</p>
<p>who’s talking about partying. we are talking intolerance.</p>
<p>I am the original poster. This thread has progressed with far more substance and insight than I had ever expected. I thank you all for sharing your thoughts and feelings, whether it was after much reflection or it was in the heat of the moment. Thanks to you all for sharing your heart-felt thoughts and feelings about Dartmouth. Many of you have a great of personal knowledge and investment in Dartmouth. Several of you have offered to speak with me and my DD over the phone to answer our question offline. Such generosity is most appreciated.</p>
<p>After reflecting upon all that we have learned from this blog and from our various explorations of Dartmouth, my DD and close friends’s DS have decided that Dartmouth is not right for them. The manifestations of intolerance and arrogance exhibited by a certain segment of the Dartmouth community and the seeming tolerance of such behavior by Dartmouth’s administration that have surfaced through a variety of media channels, some more reputable than others of course, are too numerous to be ignored, disputed, discounted or discredited. </p>
<p>The weight of the combined evidence, some more compelling than others of course, reflects a certain amount of denial and insularity in the Dartmouth community, especially with the administration. Articles such as: [hardboiled</a> | issue 12.5](<a href=“http://hardboiled.berkeley.edu/issues/125/125-3-dartmouth.html]hardboiled”>http://hardboiled.berkeley.edu/issues/125/125-3-dartmouth.html) and [Dartmouth</a> heckling at squash meet prompts apologies - The Boston Globe](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/12/10/dartmouth_heckling_at_squash_meet_prompts_apologies/]Dartmouth”>http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/12/10/dartmouth_heckling_at_squash_meet_prompts_apologies/) are just too numerous to explain away as aberrations in the Dartmouth culture, as the responsibility of fringe populations at Dartmouth.</p>
<p>The more reasonable explanation is that there is much that is wonderful about Dartmouth and that it sincerely is soul-searching, but that the weight of its fraternity and privileged-class dominated culture is showing unsurprising and effective resistance to change. </p>
<p>We have kept an open-mind through this process. Contrary to many who claim that problems of alcohol fueled, drug-laced, fraternity-associated crude, intolerant, discriminatory is ubiquitous across US colleges, we have found several that offer alternatives along with top notch academic experiences. DD and my close friends DS will NOT matriculate at Dartmouth, despite its many strengths.</p>
<p>Thanks again. MidWestFather.</p>
<p>From another thread:</p>
<p>[For</a> Dartmouth, a Day of Reflection and Understanding | Dartmouth Now](<a href=“http://now.dartmouth.edu/2013/04/for-dartmouth-a-day-of-reflection-and-understanding/?utm_source=Dartmouth+Now&utm_campaign=d06624368c-Dartmouth+Now+Weekly+Update&utm_medium=email]For”>http://now.dartmouth.edu/2013/04/for-dartmouth-a-day-of-reflection-and-understanding/?utm_source=Dartmouth+Now&utm_campaign=d06624368c-Dartmouth+Now+Weekly+Update&utm_medium=email)</p>
<p>I thank the many posters who have children either attending Dartmouth or who have attended Dartmouth. Your comments are heartfelt and sincere. At the same time, I can’t ignore the likelihood that families who have invested in Dartmouth would like validate their investment in Dartmouth and so would be biased in their perspective. As someone not invested in Dartmouth, I don’t have the emotional need for such validation. I do for my alma mater, which is not a consideration for DD’s college. From my perspective, Dartmouth has a deep-rooted problem of intolerance that isn’t going away quickly enough.
I reject the assertion that it isn’t any better at other colleges. The assertion that no college is perfect is not convincing. Just because colleges aren’t perfect does not preclude the fact that they exist on a continuum of good to bad and that some are better than others when it comes to tolerance, inclusiveness, self-reflection and courage to act.</p>
<p>Wishing OP and his daughter the best of look with their decision. Since question has been asked, answered and decision made, closing thread</p>