<p>When I told my (black) math teacher that I would be applying to Dartmouth, he grimaced and told me I should take a closer look at it.</p>
<p>He was accepted at Dartmouth when he was in high school but chose to go to the less name-y University of Illinois because he thought that the atmosphere at Dartmouth was too conservative, stuffy, and a bit racist.</p>
<p>So for students of color who have visited Dartmouth or are currently attending, do you feel like this is true?</p>
<p>I feel like every school would have had racial tension in years past, however, times have changed. I did an overnight stay at Dartmouth a few weeks ago and did not feel at all uncomfortable. Everyone was warm and friendly. My host was white as were most of her friends (there were 2 that were asian) and I felt completely accepted.</p>
<p>Yah... i heard so.. I'm an asian.. it's got some bad name in the past but as coopertemplegirl has said "times have changed"... i didn't feel it was racist.. or else it wud not be my ED college...</p>
<p>Interestingly enough, if anyone reads the Dartmouth regularly, racism and diversity have been very hot topics this past week or so. Friday there was an editorial called (conveniently... considering the name of this forum) "Racism Remains at Dartmouth."
<a href="http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2006111002020%5B/url%5D">http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2006111002020</a></p>
<p>I think you'd really have to visit the campus yourself to see how you feel. Its all about personal feelings- not your math teacher's impressions from 20 years ago.</p>
<p>Even though I love Dartmouth, I must say that this term has been really hard on me. This fall term at Dartmouth there has been many incidents of racial insensitivity towards Native American students. The campus has been quite hostile towards Native American students. The incidents were</p>
<p>-review giving out Indian head shirts to '10s... using blitz to advertise
-selling of shirts that depicted a Native American getting a blow job from a knight for homecoming... inside of Thayer
-during a celebration for Columbus Day on the green while singing our songs and drums our ceremony was crashed by some drunken frat members
-The college released the alumni calendar with an image of an Indian head cane
-last week a party in Collis was hosted and the theme was "cowboys, farm animals and indigenous people" so a few people showed up dressed as Native Americans.</p>
<p>The main problem is the college has done nothing to address these issues. No action has been taken by the administration.</p>
<p>Yeah.. maybe racism is everywhere even if it doesn't come up...... it's just how it is perceived...</p>
<p>S is Hispanic and has not had any problems. As far as the recent press about ethnic issues, I think that should be seen as a reflection of a high awareness of racism combined with a strong PC culture on campus--not necessarily a high level of racism itself that exists. Frankly, the Cowboys and Indians party could probably have been held at other colleges without drawing any attention.</p>
<p>I'm asian and when I visited I went to a mostly white frat and everyone was so nice and it didnt seem to make a difference that I'm not white. I have to admit though, there weren't many other minorites at the party besides a couple of asian girls, and one black guy. I don't think the people are racist I just think that maybe minority groups self-segregate.</p>
<p>I am a minority and I found Dartmouth to be very open. Dartmouth is nothing like the way it was back in the 1980s. Now Dartmouth is 85% democrat, 33% minority, and a very different place altogether. Sure, the Dartmouth Review still hands out Indian T-shirts and cases of bigotry exist, but those cases are the exception not the rule. The Review was kicked off campus, after all. Overall, I think the sensitivity to anything remotely offensive shows how far Dartmouth has come. </p>
<p>That said, the issue with Dartmouth is a few frats (Heorot, AD, Theta Delt, Chi Gamm) are "jocky" and white and they are powerful in the social scene. Too powerful in my opinion. There are plenty of alternatives (including other frats!), however, and those alternatives are full of diversity. Even the minorities in those few frats (while small in number) felt comfortable although they perhaps conformed to "white culture" more than other minority students. </p>
<p>My advice: Dartmouth is a blast and its not racist at all BUT there are other schools that someone who really really identifies with a minority group might prefer. I personally had a terrific experience, but I grew up in the suburbs and loved the integrated environment. A student from Bombay who likes clubbing, prefers urban scenes, and is really into Indian culture might prefer a more urban Ivy.</p>
<p>TheGFG that is the whole problem. You said that the cowboy and Indian thing can happen anywhere without anything happening. Why is it alright for people to dress up as Native Americans and perpetuate negative stereotypes about them, but then when you have a party depicting blacks in a negative way there is a huge outcry. Look at the recent "Halloween in the hood" held at JHU. How do you think this makes the Native American communities feel at these institutions of higher learning when they are treated as second class citizens?</p>
<p>When I was at Dartmouth a "Hula party" was a big controversy as it apparently offended Hawaiian Native Students. </p>
<p>My point is that the fact that these incidents raise so much response reveals how non-discriminatory and open minded Dartmouth is. Honestly I think the Hula party "controversy" was overboard, but the fact that Dartmouth students are so aware is a great thing. Sure there are a small percentage of Indian T-shirt wearing libertarian review-loving students, but for every one of them there are nine people who don't think this way at all.</p>
<p>I, despite being thoroughly white, would not identify myself as a cowboy. I have never touched a gun, never said "yee-haw," and never ridden a horse. It does not bother me that at this party, white = cowboys, because, well, it was just a fun party with no racist ulterior motives. Keep it in perspective.</p>
<p>Being a cowboy is a profession and I can assure you that being a Native American is not. How can you group these two together? This party offended many members of the Dartmouth community and it is sad when people try to justify something that was plain wrong.</p>
<p>I'm curious how Aztecs (San Diego State), Athenians (Mount Saint Mary's College), Britons (Albion College), Celtics (Carlow University), Gaels (St. Mary's College), Dutchmen (Union College), Irish (Notre Dame), Scots (several including Macalaster College and College of Wooster), Swedes (Bethany College), or Norse (Luther College and Northern Kentucky) feel about their ethnic identities being appropriated for college mascots.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Now Dartmouth is 85% democrat, 33% minority, and a very different place altogether.
[/quote]
Source? That 85% number seems amazingly unlikely.</p>
<p>I'd agree with slipper that the outcry might be seen as a tribute to the awareness at Dartmouth. They bring their racial issues to the forefront of debate whereas perhaps at other schools minorities are less encouraged to speak out.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm curious how Aztecs (San Diego State), Athenians (Mount Saint Mary's College), Britons (Albion College), Celtics (Carlow University), Gaels (St. Mary's College), Dutchmen (Union College), Irish (Notre Dame), Scots (several including Macalaster College and College of Wooster), Swedes (Bethany College), or Norse (Luther College and Northern Kentucky) feel about their ethnic identities being appropriated for college mascots.
[/quote]
Hopefully they are protesting the “indignity,” such that it is. Particularly the Irish at Notre Dame, as “The Fighting Irish”: the “drunken-fighting Irish," obviously, being to unwieldy to shout-out at a game.</p>
<p>From Wiki:</p>
<p>
[quote]
According to the University's website, there are several legends of how Notre Dame came to be the "Fighting Irish." One story suggests the moniker was born in 1899 (much earlier than the "modern era") with Notre Dame leading Northwestern 5-0 at halftime of a game in Evanston, Illinois. The Wildcat fans began to chant, "Kill the Fighting Irish, kill the Fighting Irish," as the second half opened. Another tale has the nickname originating at halftime of the Notre Dame-Michigan game in 1909. With his team trailing, one Notre Dame player yelled to his teammates—who had names like Dolan, Kelly, Glynn, Duffy and Ryan—"What's the matter with you guys? You're all Irish and you're not fighting worth a lick." Notre Dame came back to win the game and the press, after overhearing the remark, reported the game as a victory for the "Fighting Irish." Another possible origin is the violent 1924 confrontation between Notre Dame Students and the Ku Klux Klan in South Bend. This event is described in Todd Tucker's book Notre Dame Vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan.
The most generally accepted explanation is that the press coined the nickname as a characterization of Notre Dame teams in the 1920's as a result of preexisting Irish stereotypes, the widely reported events of 1924, and the grit, determination, and tenacity of Coach Knute Rockne's football teams of the era.
[/quote]
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Notre_Dame#Moniker%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Notre_Dame#Moniker</a></p>
<p>"The Irish," it seems, really took it on the chin back in the day.</p>
<p>But their reaction is what might be called “taking the ball and running with it;” in sharp contrast to other more mischievous reactions to sporty fun, games and monikers.</p>
<p>Fwiw, my ethnicity is almost certainly more of a minority at Dartmouth than anyone else in this thread. Dartmouth if anything bends over backward to accommodate minority students, I assure you. Dartmouth cannot, however, prevent any particular student from being offended by this or that particular moment in their day to day lives. </p>
<p>My suggestion: lighten up and enjoy life. </p>
<p>There is no future in always taking offense at the world as is. Like the "Fighting Irish" take the ball and run with it. Though "Red-Skin" is, to me, an unacceptable ethnic slur--as is "Fighting Irish"--"Indian" is not...even if in contrast to "Cowboys" (a term the rest of the world applies to American behavior abroad (it is not, in their effete minds, intended as a compliment). </p>
<p>I wonder what the foot-ballers in Dallas think about that.</p>
<p>I really get tired of trying to tell people it is not ok to dress up as Native Americans or use them as mascots. You are basically saying it is alright to make a mockery of Native American religons when you dress up in their regalia. Do you know that each piece of thier dress has a sacred meaning? Would you find it offensive if we had the Muslims as a mascot and put on a hijab and ran around on a field? People really need to open their eyes, just becuase Native Americans are a super minority you do not have the right to treat them differently.</p>
<p>Also have any of you read the statement released by the APA? Here is some of it. <a href="http://www.apa.org/releases/ResAmIndianMascots.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.apa.org/releases/ResAmIndianMascots.pdf</a></p>
<p>WHEREAS the continued use of American Indian mascots, symbols, images, and personalities undermines the educational experiences of members of all communities-especially those who have had little or no contact with Indigenous peoples.
WHEREAS the continued use of American Indian mascots, symbols, images, and personalities establishes an unwelcome and often times hostile learning environment for American Indian students that affirms negative images/stereotypes that are promoted in mainstream society
WHEREAS the continued use of American Indian symbols, mascots, images, and personalities is a detrimental manner of illustrating the cultural identity of American Indian people through negative displays and/or interpretations of spiritual and traditional practices
WHEREAS the continued use of American Indian mascots, symbols, images, and personalities is an offensive and intolerable practice to American Indian Nations that must be eradicated
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Psychological Association recognizes the potential negative impact the use of American Indian mascots, symbols, images, and personalities have on the mental health and psychological behavior of American Indian people;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Psychological Association supports and recommends the immediate retirement of American Indian mascots, symbols, images, andpersonalities by schools, colleges, universities, athletic teams, and organizations.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Would you find it offensive if we had the Muslims as a mascot
[/quote]
</p>
<p>As a Sufi, which is an expression of Islam, I am not offended by the oft mentioned sports expression:</p>
<p>"...he was running like a Whirling Dervish" </p>
<p>That is to say, "like an ecstatic Sufi."
Neither would I be offended to have a team named “The Whirling Dervishes” with a fancy logo emblazoned with such--but then I don’t make a habit of being easily offended. </p>
<p>You can’t always predict that you will offend someone by your behavior; but you have it in your power not to be offended by the behavior of others as you choose. </p>
<p>...what the world needs now is one less person being offended.
-It would be a very good start.</p>
<p>Dartmouth is not a racist place AT ALL. It is incredibly welcoming, tolerant, and open. It bothers me when people who aren't here try to call it racist. It's not. And for whoever it was that was challening the number that someone threw out of Dartmouth being 85% Demoract, that figure really does not seem outrageous. This is definitely a liberal colleege, and while I am conservative, I definitely feel in the majority. As for the Town of Hanover, to give some <em>real</em> numbers, in the midterm congressional election that just passed, Hanover residents (which includes those from Dartmouth who voted in New Hampshire) voted 80% for the Democrat, Paul Hodes, and 20% for the Republican, Charlie Bass, even though state-wide the race was much closer (53% Hodes to 47% Bass, I think) Thats about as solid of a source I can name....not to mention that according to the D, dartmouth students voted 11:1 for hodes. Additionally, the college democrats are a MUCH larger group than are the college republicans.</p>
<p>All that aside, Dartmouth is one of the most diverse and accepting places I have ever been. Just because a large amount of attention has been drawn to the matter over the past couple weeks, does NOT make it a "racist" college.</p>