Monday, December 3, 2001

Madonna: Naked to the World

Why has she succeeded while other divas have faded away? Is Madonna truly a diva? (What exactly makes one a diva?) And, most importantly, why do so many people care? Two new unauthorized biographies of the self-proclaimed "Boy Toy" try to answer those questions for us—and more!

WRC: Celebrating Prurient Pleasure

The Women's Resource Center was founded to 'celebrate women's achievements, explore the role gender plays in human experience, and support individual and collective struggles related to gender.' But while other women's organizations with similar missions—the Independent Women's Forum for example—hold discussions on dating in college, having healthy relationships, and the pros and cons of marriage, all the Dartmouth Women's Resource Center seems to focus on is sex.

Philosophy in the 'Athens of the North'

A few weeks ago my fellow Dartmouth philosophers and I strolled through the cobblestone streets of Edinburgh on a David Hume tour led by our own dear Professor James Moor. As we stood in a little courtyard Hume himself might have once looked out upon from a flat above, Professor Moor noted that when this great philosopher rejected the notion that we could be certain the sun would rise tomorrow morning—just because it had risen every other morning—Hume had Edinburgh in mind.

On Nascar and Life

The crowd is blue-collar, chugging Budweiser after Budweiser, chain smoking Marlboro Lights (the women drink Bud Light and smoke Basics), and driving Chevy supercabs. A few splurge and smoke cheap cigars. The kids have rattails. The dads have mullets. The moms have tattoos. Jerry Jeff Walker is a household name. There is a refreshing lack of pretentiousness: no one fills his cooler with Magic Hat or another specialty microbrew or voted for Al Gore.

Third World Report: Voting in Kosovo

The voters ranged from the young to the very old. The young are "efficient" voters—they enter, collect their ballots, mark them, and leave. The old ones are a different story. Typically, an old couple would arrive together. Invariably, one of them a) can't read, b) can't see or c) isn't sure for whom to vote. What ensues is usually quite comical as the husband tries to go help his wife while four different polling officials are yelling at him to stop.

NE College Admissions: Pervasive Preferences

The Nellie Mae Educational Foundation recently released a study entitled 'Diversity Among Equals' which extols the use of affirmative action in New England colleges' admissions processes.

'Get Rid of the Taliban,' says Afghan

Aside from the occasional pro-war counter protest, Dartmouth has missed much of the rousing patriotism that has swept the nation of late. Strange, then, that some of the most staunch pro-American sentiment on campus would be found at an event hosted by the Dartmouth Alliance for Middle East Awareness and publicized by the Women's Resource Center.

Kwanzaa: the 'Path of Blackness'

It's that time of the year again. The tree now stands tall in the center of the Green, and menorahs shine in the windows. Kwanzaa is here. But at Dartmouth, Kwanzaa comes and goes with little fanfare.

ROTC: Interest Up, Enlistment Unchanged

The terrorist attacks of September 11 realigned and reawakened American interest in the military. Several local newspaper stories this fall about the Dartmouth Army ROTC program evidence a renewed interest in the military here in the Upper Valley. This coverage may represent a shift in tone towards the ROTC program, but the participation levels do not indicate that acceptance has translated into action.

'Peace Activists' Assault Patriots at Tufts

On the evening of October 1, seven members of Tufts University's conservative newspaper, the Primary Source, painted the school cannon, a replica from the USS Constitution, in a patriotic display. Later, the night turned violent when three masked "peace protestors" showed up to desecrate the painted cannon.

Barrett's Mixology: Irish Eggnog

With the taste of barbecue sauce still in our mouths, we decided to head down to the anteroom at the RNH Hunting Lodge to help us ease into the holiday spirit a little bit. We were surprised to discover that we were too early in the season for eggnog, so we asked the bartender to whip us up something equally smooth. The result was satisfying and brought out much holiday cheer.