Monday, April 9, 2001

Dorm-Locking: A Dubious Decision

This past week the College announced the formation of a committee to discuss the implementation of the decision, announced last term, to lock the entrances to all the dorms on campus. Its responsibilities will not include any review of the basic premises underlying that door locking policy. Unfortunately, that premise is fatally flawed.

TDR Interview: David Horowitz

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

Now, I have reviewed Horowitz's ten points, and I find them cogent. There is nothing insulting or offensive about them, as far as I can see. We will come to specifics later. But first, the reaction on the campuses.

The Punishment Does Not Fit the 'Crime'

Thus far, the debate surrounding the Psi Upsilon chanting incident has centered around the rights of those involved. The Anonymous victim's rights, the fraternity's rights, the chanters' rights, and the Dartmouth Community's right to an appropriate atmosphere have all been fiercely defended. Perhaps most discussed are the rights of the Anonymous victim. However, while she has many defendable rights, the 'right' not to be offended is not one of them.

Psi U: Speech on Trial, Loses

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.' The woman, writing anonymously took to her keyboard, and in the morning her story had spread across campus in the form of a 'Generic Good Morning Message.'

All's Quiet on Campus, Too Quiet

Given the reaction to the ad at other schools after it was published in other newspapers, we knew it would be controversial. However, I was surprised when on the day the paper went out, I received an email from someone who I had considered a friend denouncing the 'overt and covert racism' of the paper. In particular, he was upset over the reparations ad and the Marion Barry drink.

Zantop Investigation Continues, Still No Motive

As evidence mounts against the two teens accused of killing the Half and Susanne Zantop, their motive remains a mystery. Court documents released by the prosecution tell little of the possible motive. Investigators also appear stumped.

Horowitz Ad Ignites Controversy, Newspapers

David Horowitz, president of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture and editor-in-chief of FrontPageMagazine.com, 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' (see TDR, 3/12/01).

Blitzmail on the Green: Wireless at Dartmouth

Seeking to maintain its position among the most wired schools in the nation, Dartmouth is moving forward with plans to have a wireless computing network in place by the end of April. The new system will allow Dartmouth students, faculty, and staff to access both Internet and network services from any location on campus. No physical connection to the network will be required.

Will Leitch: Internet Semi-Celebrity

If you were to give Will Leitch his due and count him among the foremost savants of Internet journalism, he'd probably quip that he's mostly just an idiot. Leitch, a twenty-five-year-old freelance columnist, was recently named editor of Steve Brill's new All-Star Newspaper.