Quiet Christmas

It was a quiet Christmas break here at Dartlog, here are some notable posts from other Dartmouth related blogs:

1. The four petition trustees filed an amicus brief in favor of the Association of Alumni’s lawsuit. Joe Malchow has a link to the brief here.
2. Dave Nachman keeps us updated on the goings on of SAD,
3. and also investigates the College’s Principle of Community:
   

   [T]he current 89-page CFS handbook does state that Greek organizations must, as a requirement for recognition, “ensure that its conduct, purpose, and activities are consistent with the mission of Dartmouth College and the Dartmouth College Principle of Community,” which does seem to contradict the statement that the Principle are not adjudicable.

   The entire concept of the Principle of Community is very questionable. Without a doubt, the presence of any racism, sexism, or homophobia at Dartmouth is a serious problem. But these problems cannot be solved by a three sentence edict from the Board of Trustees. Unlike its peers – the Standards of Conduct, the Academic Honor Principle, and the statement on Freedom of Expression and Dissent – the Principle are overwhelmingly vague, leaving it a danger to Greek organizations when its adherence becomes a condition for recognition. Around Dartmouth, it gets placed on the walls of offices and reception rooms. It becomes the justification for every social life recommendation, every decision, every program. It represents the epitome of 21st century quasi-corporate politically-correct head-in-the-sand thinking – the belief that mission statements and the like actually matter, and that decisions should be based around them. Any belief that the Principle of Community have made Dartmouth a more inclusive place is absurd. Dartmouth has become more inclusive because the world is becoming more inclusive and because students are actively seeking to make Dartmouth more inclusive. Certainly, administrators have been making a difference in improving diversity (the fine folks of the Student Life Department, for example), but the belief that Dartmouth can be socially re-engineered from up high with disregard for the things that students care about (i.e. the Greek system) is flat-out misguided. Dartmouth’s improving inclusiveness has not occurred because the trustees published a statement twenty-eight years ago or because they aimed a wrecking ball at the Greek system nine years ago.