What the petition candidates really want?

For some insight into the so-called “true” motivations of the past four petition candidates, here are Alumni Councilor Mike Houlahan’s ’61 thoughts:

“The petition candidates express nostalgia for the simpler and less diverse Dartmouth of several decades ago. Most of us who graduated during that period have very fond memories of our Dartmouth experience; however, most of us also realize that the diversity of today’s Dartmouth makes it a fairer and more tolerant place and that the clock can’t and shouldn’t be
rolled back. We realize that Dartmouth has been made stronger by allowing admission to our daughters as well as our sons. And we know that the College’s educational strength and relevance to national needs are better served by encouraging students from a much wider range of backgrounds to be admitted on a needs blind basis.”

For those interested, I comment further about Houlahan’s claims here.