Pizza and protest tomorrow

>Date: 05 Dec 2003 21:05:32 EST

>From: Noah R. Riner

>Subject: Protest for Alumni Rights!

>To: (Recipient list suppressed)

**Protest tomorrow to maintain your alumni voting rights!**

Take a break from studying and join the protest this Saturday at 11:15am at the HOP (we’ll be immediately inside the doors). Free pizza will be provided.

Although we are Dartmouth students today, we will spend the majority of our lives as Dartmouth alumni. One of the most important ways that alumni contribute to the college is by helping select half of the Board of Trustees. Alumni have brought a very disturbing issue our attention, and we feel it should be shared with you, the future alumni of Dartmouth.

This Saturday, Dec. 6, the Association of Alumni will vote on a new constitution, merging with the other alumni governing body, the Alumni Council. The problem lies in the fact that the new joint constitution could be amended by a small group, the leadership of the association. Alumni’s rights to vote on trustees could be taken away and placed in the hands of that leadership group. Members of Student Assembly are not accusing anyone of trying to immediately take away alumni’s voting rights; however, the new constitution would open the possibility for such an appalling act.

Also disturbing is the fact that according to a recent alumni-funded poll, 89% of alumni were not aware that a new constitution was being proposed. Numerous alumni have contacted us and are vehemently opposed to the new constitution because of its vulnerability to non-democratic amendments.

Because this proposed constitution is dangerously susceptible to significant non-democratic changes and because so many alumni are unaware that the vote is taking place, the issue should be tabled or voted down until these problems have been addressed. A student protest will take place this Saturday at 11:15 outside of the HOP to safeguard our voting rights as future alumni.

Sincerely,

Janos Marton

Student Body President

Noah Riner

Student Body Vice President

For more information, see these articles:

*http://www.daog.org/

*http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2003110401010

*http://69.57.157.207/archives/2003/11/03/silencing_alumni_voices_alumni_lose_rights_of_selfgovernance.php