The Dartmouth Review: April 9, 2001

The Dartmouth Review

Horowitz Ad Ignites Controversy, Newspapers
by Alexander Talcott
David Horowitz, president of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture and editor-in-chief of FrontPage Magazine, has become the left's Enemy Number One as of late, for his “racist” ad entitled, “Ten Reasons Why Reparations for Slavery is a Bad Idea—and Racist Too,” published in The Dartmouth Review's March 12 issue. Sent to 59 college and university student newspapers, the ad has been rejected by 35, despite an offer of payment. 14 papers have published the ad, but only 8 of these have published it without subsequently apologizing or provoking unruly protest.

TDR Interview: David Horowitz
by Alexander Talcott
After a flurry of late-night telephone calls, The Dartmouth Review managed to get in touch with David Horowitz, president of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture and much-maligned campus rabble-rouser, between speaking engagements in Boston.

Reparations Rumble
by Jeffrey Hart
George Orwell once said that real journalism consists of what someone does not want published, and that all the rest is public relations. Public relations is what campus journalism mainly consists of today. A very interesting and important thing has happened on a number of university campuses. So far, only Brown has come out of it with honor. David Horowitz is an interesting fellow. He was raised in Queens, NYC, both his parents devote American Communists. He marched in the May Day parade, went to communist summer camps, lived in a communist world. During the 1960s, he found himself in California with the New Left.

Psi U: Speech on Trial, Loses
by Darren Thomas
At 9 p.m. February 16, a female student approached Psi Upsilon and heard five voices chant "Wah-hoo-wah, scalp ‘em." As she passed the house on her way to West Wheelock Street, the chants stopped. But they resumed: "Wah-hoo-wah, scalp those bitches." The terrified female could only respond, "Psi U is so cool." Psi Upsilon acted quickly and took responsibility for theses charges. Psi U president Mike Holick ’02 issued a quick apology to campus and stated that the chants in no way reflect the accepted behavior in the house. Psi U did not let the actions of its brothers go unpunished. The two chanters were given severe house sanctions. Despite Psi U’s actions, Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman handed Psi U two terms of social probation. Social probation prohibits the house from serving alcohol in public spaces, effectively preventing open parties. The Judicial Committee found this punishment extremely harsh.

Psi U: "The Punishment Does Not Fit the 'Crime.'"
by Alexander Harrison
Whether or not the chanting at Psi U was offensive—nay, disgusting—has already been agreed upon. From Deans to editorialists to minority organizations to the two fraternity members, everyone with a voice to be heard has denounced the actions of that night as wrong and bigoted. However, if I were to walk outside this moment and scream "wah-hoo-wah, scalp 'em," I would not be violating anyone’s rights, but merely expressing an opinion. If I yelled it at a passing girl, I would not be violating her rights, but rather offending her. Dean of Residential Life Redman’s treatment of Psi U suggests otherwise. The fraternity is being punished in part for violating the college’s Principle of Community. While that document certainly condemns bigoted and harassing behavior, it also staunchly defends every community member’s right to be heard. The Principles of the Dartmouth Community states that "The College…both fosters and protects the rights of individuals to express dissent."

Zantop Investigation Continues, Still No Motive by J. Lawrence Scholer
Blitzmail on the Green by Seth Goldberg
All's Quiet on Campus, Too Quiet by M. Ryan Clark
Dorm-Locking: A Dubious Decision by Alexander Wilson
Will Leitch: Internet Semi-Celebrity by Stefan Beck

by Gordon Haff

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win great triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”

—Theodore Roosevelt